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:

Wide receiver Ryan McGuffey racked up 2,697 receiving yards between 2000-03./ UW courtesy photo

No. 14 - Ryan McGuffey

Wide receiver, 2000-03, Riverton, Wyo.

Résumé in Laramie

Ryan McGuffey led the Cowboys in receptions in three separate seasons, racking up more than 2,650 yards in the process. He was named first-team all-conference in 2001, and is still in the Top 10 in school history in most statistical categories, including yards (2,679), receptions (231) and single-game catches. He snagged 15 balls for 144 yards against UNLV back in 2001. That's still the third-best day for any Cowboy receiver. It definitely didn't hurt that the school's all-time passing leader, Casey Bramlet, was his quarterback throughout his career on the high plains. McGuffey is one of the best receivers to come from the Cowboy State and play at UW. He was also a team captain in 2001 and 2002.

About Riverton

The most populous city in Fremont County, Riverton is home to more than 10,000 residents. Located near the middle of the state, the Rendezvous City is situated right next to the Wind River Indian Reservation. Other notable people from Riverton include: Chance Phelps (Marine who was killed in Iraq, inspiration behind HBO movie Taking Chance), Darrell Winfield (Marlboro Man) and Nick Bebout (former Wyoming, NFL football player)

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

(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