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:

Wyoming QB Larry Zowada lines up behind center Larry Yonkee prior to the 1957 season./ UW courtesy photo

No. 15 - Larry Zowada

Quarterback, 1955-57, Sheridan, Wyo.

Résumé in Laramie

Taking over under center for three-year starter Joe Mastrogiovanni, Larry Zowada was a two-time All-Skyline Conference selection at quarterback in 1956 and '57. The Sheridan product was inserted into the lineup for the first time in the 1956 Sun Bowl after Mastrogiovanni suffered a knee injury. That day in El Paso, Zowada connected on 6-of-10 passes for 112 yards and a pair of touchdowns, leading the Cowboys to a 21-14 victory over Texas Tech. The following season would be Phil Dickens' final one in Laramie. Zowada led the Pokes to a perfect 10-0 record, including wins at Colorado State, Utah State and BYU. Wyoming also claimed a victory on the road at Arizona and took down Utah inside War Memorial Stadium. Zowada led the nation in yards per completion that year and completed 41 of his 96 throws for 878 yards and seven scores through the air. Despite going 10-0 and landing in the 19th spot in the final AP poll, the Cowboys were left out of the bowl picture. Zowada played his final season under Bob Devaney, again eclipsing the 850-yard mark in passing. The Cowboys capped that season with a 4-3-3 record that included ties against Utah State, BYU and Air Force. Zowada is a member of the UW Intercollegiate Hall of Fame.

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

(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