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 offensive lineman Frank Crum hugs head coach Craig Bohl before the Cowboys take on Hawaii on Senior Day./ DJ Johnson photo

No. 20 - Frank Crum

Offensive lineman, 2018-23, Laramie, Wyo.

Résumé in Laramie

Frank Crum appeared in 56 career games at Wyoming after redshirting his true freshman season in 2018. The former walk-on earned First Team All-Mountain West honors during his final season in Laramie after making the switch from right to left tackle in the offseason. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Laramie native was a third-generation Cowboy, joining his grandfather Earl and father Gary. Crum turned down offers from rivals Utah State and Colorado State before accepting a PWO from then head coach Craig Bohl. Crum, who was also an all-conference honorable mention in 2021, helped pave the way for 1,000-yard rushers Xazavian Valladay and Titus Swen. He was part of four bowl teams during his six years on campus, winning a pair of Arizona Bowls and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2021. Crum finished with a 5-1 record against Border War rival CSU. The lone loss came during the Covid-19-shortened 2020 campaign. Last month Crum signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent.

About Laramie

Home of the University of Wyoming, Laramie is home to more than 31,000 residents, making it the fourth-largest city in the state. The Gem City is nestled between the Snowy and Laramie Range and its elevation exceeds 7,200 feet above sea level. Laramie is roughly 50 miles west of Cheyenne on Interstate-80 and 25 miles north of the Colorado state line.

Pokes Football: Best of Wyoming series

* No. 25

* No. 24

* No. 23

* No. 22

* No. 21

(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