LARAMIE -- No other state has been more of a recruiting hotbed for the University of Wyoming than Colorado.

This list will prove that.

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Numerous UW Hall of Famers, NFL stars and program record holders began their football journey in that square to the south. The Cowboys' top rival, Colorado State, overlooked plenty of these guys. So did CU. Air Force even whiffed a time or two.

Some just flat out picked Laramie over Fort Collins, Boulder and Colorado Springs.

This summer, with the help of some longtime Wyoming football followers, we will count down the Top 25 Colorado products in program history. As always, what these guys did in professional football doesn't matter. This is all about production in Laramie.

 

Galand Thaxton is one of the best defensive players in Wyoming history, registering a record-breaking 467 tackles from 1984-87./ UW courtesy photo
Galand Thaxton is one of the best defensive players in Wyoming history, registering a record-breaking 467 tackles from 1984-87./ UW courtesy photo
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No. 1 - Galand Thaxton

Linebacker, 1984-87, Denver, Colorado

 

Résumé in Laramie

No player in Wyoming history registered as many tackles as Galand Thaxton. The linebacker from Denver tallied 467 career stops, 13 more than Andrew Wingard. That number has stood for nearly four decades and is in no immediate danger of being broken. Wingard couldn't do it. Neither could Jim Talich, Logan Wilson or John Salley, some of the top tacklers to ever wear the Brown and Gold. Thaxton, who played for three different head coaches during his tenure in Laramie -- Al Kincaid, Dennis Erickson and Paul Roach -- also holds the single-season record for tackles with 158. That came during his junior year. The following season, he registered 143, which is still tied for second most in program history. Thaxton helped lead the Cowboys to a Western Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the Holiday Bowl as a senior. Wyoming would eventually fall to Iowa 20-19 in San Diego. He had already earned the title of WAC Rookie of the Year, First-Team honoree and two-time team captain (the first two earn that in team history), but Thaxton added Associated Press Third-Team All-American to his resume in '87. He spent parts of three seasons in the NFL, suiting up for the Atlanta Falcons and the San Diego Chargers. He was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999. Read more about Galand Thaxton HERE.

 

About Denver

The state capital and most-populous city in Colorado, the Denver Metro Area is home to nearly 3 million residents. The city itself is estimated at around 715,000. Sitting in the shadows of the nearby Rocky Mountains, the Mile High City is the 17th most-populous area in the United States and the fifth largest capital city.

 

Pokes Football: Best of Colorado series:

No. 25

No. 24

No. 23

No. 22

No. 21

No. 20

No. 19

No. 18

No. 17

No. 16 

No. 15

No. 14

No. 13

No. 12

No. 11

No. 10

No. 9

No. 8

No. 7

No. 6

No. 5

No. 4

No. 3

No. 2

 

Pokes Football: Best of Wyoming series

 

(Cody Tucker and Jared Newland both work for Townsquare Media, which owns 7220sports.com. Kevin McKinney has been a color commentator of Cowboy football for five decades. Ryan Thorburn now works for the University of Wyoming in a sports information role after spending decades in the newspaper industry, most recently at the Casper Star-Tribune. Sally Ann Shurmur, the daughter of former UW football coach Fritz Shurmur, is also a veteran of the newspaper industry, working as a journalist, columnist at the CST for 43 years. She currently writes for Cowboy State Daily.)

University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

During the summer of 2021, 7220Sports.com counted down the Top 50 football players in University of Wyoming history, presented by Premier Bone & Joint Centers, Worthy of Wyoming.

The rules are simple: What was the player's impact while in Laramie? That means NFL stats, draft status or any other accolade earned outside of UW is irrelevant when it comes to this list.

This isn't a one-man job. This task called for a panel of experts. Joining 7220's Cody Tucker are Robert GagliardiJared NewlandRyan Thorburn, and Kevin McKinney.

We all compiled our own list of 50 and let computer averages do the work. Think BCS -- only we hope this catalog is fairer.

Don't agree with a selection? Feel free to sound off on our Twitter: @7220sports - #Top50UWFB

Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players

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