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:

Dewey McConnell was the first two-time All-American in Wyoming football history./ UW courtesy photo

No. 3 - Dewey McConnell

Wide receiver/ defensive back, 1949-51, Laramie, Wyoming

Résumé in Laramie

Dewey McConnell was Wyoming's first two-time All-American. In fact, he was one of the school's very first All-American selections, joining the likes of guys like CT Hewgley, Selmer Pederson, Doug Reeves, Jerry Taylor and others. McConnell, who played on both sides of the ball, helped lead the Cowboys to the first bowl game in school history, a 20-7 victory over Washington & Lee in the 1951 Gator Bowl. During his senior season, McConnell snagged 47 passes for 725 yards and eight touchdowns. That led the entire nation. He hauled in five crucial passes for 75 yards in that bowl win. This former Plainsman was named to the first team All-Skyline Conference team in 1950 and '51. That will happen when you hold every receiving record in school history. McConnell was the first Rocky Mountain Region player selected in the 1952 NFL Draft -- the third round -- by the Los Angeles Rams. He played in the NFL for four seasons. McConnell was inducted into the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.

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

* 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