Legacy Played a Major Role in the Return of Gyllenborg, Walsh

LAS VEGAS -- Rare breed.

When talking about the legacies of Jack Walsh and John Michael Gyllenborg, those two words above sum it up.

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These two waltzed onto campus back in the summer of 2021. Unlike so many of their Wyoming teammates -- and thousands of other college football players around the country -- they stayed put, despite receiving reported six-figure deals in the offseason to bolt off to supposed greener pastures.

Why do they remain?

One word: Remembrance.

Walsh, who Wednesday was named an All-Mountain West preseason selection, was destined to be a Cowboy. His father, John Walsh, suited up in Laramie in the late 80's. He played for Al Kincaid, Dennis Erickson and eventually Paul Roach, where he was part of back-to-back WAC Championship squads.

While his son hopes to end his career the way his old man did nearly four decades ago, he's focused on the controllable.

"I want them to say that, you know, Jack Walsh was a team guy, a guy that gave it everything he had. You know, he left no stones unturned," the senior center from Palatine, Ill., said Wednesday in Las Vegas. "That's the legacy I want to leave."

Gyllenborg played all of three games during his brief career at Rockhurst High School in the Kansas City suburbs. Potential landed the senior an opportunity.

He's made the most of it.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end has hauled in 806 yards worth of passes over the last three seasons, including a career-high 425 last fall. Gyllenborg added six touchdowns grabs, three in each of the last two years.

Not too shabby for a guy who admittedly had no idea how to even carry a football until 12th grade.

Gyllenborg purportedly was courted by the likes of Notre Dame, Boston College and Texas A&M, among other Power-4 programs, last winter. Coming off a 3-9 season, coupled with a high-ankle sprain and a collarbone injury, admittedly, added to the temptation.

In the end, though, he asked himself one important question: Why leave?

"I think we all kind of thought, you know, we love Wyoming," he said. "We love this fan base. We get taken care of. There's just no reason to go somewhere and chase what other people might think you should be chasing. So, it really wasn't a difficult decision for a lot of us."

In bright gold writing, shoulder to shoulder, Wyoming's brown team workout shirts read "It's Personal."

For Gyllenborg, those words ring true.

"I just want to be known as a guy who played his best for the team, loved his teammates, was a leader by example, and led the 2025 Cowboys, along with other guys on team -- Walsh, (Caden) Barnett, (Kaden) Anderson and a plethora of other guys -- to a successful season.

"Last year sucked, and a lot of us had time to reflect."

Walsh said the standard wasn't met in 2024.

After three straight bowl appearances, Wyoming suffered blowouts and heartbreakers, none tougher, he added, than a walk-off loss to Utah State, courtesy of a last-second 40-yard field goal splitting the south uprights.

He was forced to bite his tongue as Colorado State fans flooded the field after a lopsided loss in the Border War. Like his teammates and coaches, he was left simply shaking his head after the Cowboys fell in their home opener to an FCS school, Idaho.

Leaving? On that note? No chance.

His plan is to leave this place better than he found it.

"I could have never imagined myself playing anywhere else," Walsh said. "You know, I love Wyoming. It's such a special place, and you don't understand that until you come see it, come live it. I can't wait to come back to a game when I'm 50 or 60 years old, talking about beating Texas Tech in '23 and that kind of stuff.

"It's been the biggest blessing in my life."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players