Pokes Football: Best of Wyoming

LARAMIE -- It's officially "series season."

This summer, with the help of some longtime Wyoming football followers, we will count down the Top 25 homegrown products in program history.

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As always, what these guys did in professional football doesn't matter. This is all about production in Laramie. A couple of the guys on this final list may not have been born here, but they grew up in Wyoming and graduated from an in-state high school.

Once we put a bow on these selections, we'll move on to other states like Colorado, Nebraska, Texas, etc. You get the picture:

Dick Campbell (left) and the Pokes wore these in the late 40's and early 50's. We've come a long way, huh?/ UW courtesy photo

No. 13 - Dick Campbell

Defensive halfback/ blocking back, 1948-50, Sheridan, Wyo.

Résumé in Laramie

One of the first superstars in Wyoming football history, Dick Campbell helped lead the Cowboys to a 10-0 record in 1950 along with a Skyline Conference Championship and the program's first-ever bowl game. In fact, the Sheridan product scored the team's first touchdown in a 20-7 victory over Washington & Lee in the '51 Gator Bowl. That's still the only Cowboy squad in history to finish the season unblemished and cap the year with a postseason win. Campbell, a team captain that year, earned honorable mention All-American status. His Hall of Fame plaque at UW says Campbell never dropped a pass during his final two seasons on campus, snagging 18 balls for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He played for Bowden Wyatt and capped his tenure on the high plains with a 23-6 overall record. Campbell was invited to play in the College All-Star Game following his senior season. He was later drafted by the Washington Redskins.

About Sheridan

Located directly between Yellowstone National Park and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, Sheridan is a city of more than 18,000 residents at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains. Located in the northeast part of the state, it serves as the sixth-most populous city in Wyoming.

Pokes Football: Best of Wyoming 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

(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 Gagliardi, Jared Newland, Ryan 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