Which Wyoming Cowboy wore it best? No. 39

CHEYENNE -- Do you ever see a number on a Wyoming football jersey and think of all the great players to wear it? Yeah, me too. In this daily series, I’ll give you my take on which Pokes’ football player was the best ever to don each number. The criteria are simple: How did he perform at UW? What kind of impact did he have on the program?

No. 39 – Dane Ingram

Cornerback/ running back, 1981-84, Denver, Colo.,

Résumé in Laramie
Dane Ingram played four seasons for the Cowboys, beginning his career as a running back in 1981. The Denver product rushed for 321 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman. Ingram then made the switch to cornerback where he helped lead on of the best secondaries in the WAC. Ingram helped lead the Pokes to an 8-3 record his first season, but the team never found much consistency after that. Except when it came to playing Border War Rival Colorado State. Ingram was 3-1 against the Rams during his collegiate career. He also helped beat Air Force three times.

Why Ingram?
Trailing the second-ranked Huskers 14-0 midway through the second quarter, Wyoming needed a play.

Nebraska was at the UW 32-yard line, and behind the power running of Tom Rathman, Jeff Smith and quarterback, Craig Sundberg, were threatening to blow the game wide open.

Instead, Sundberg dropped back to pass -- a rarity for the Huskers in those days – and tossed it right into the awaiting arms of Dane Ingram.

The Cowboys senior cornerback returned the ball all the way back to the Nebraska 38 before Tim Roth made the touchdown-saving tackle.

"I think the turnovers were just a matter of getting used to playing," Sundberg told reporters after the game. "With one, Mark Traynowicz snapped the ball a little early. He was just anxious to get off the ball, and I wasn't ready.

"The pass was obviously one I shouldn't have thrown. It's one of those things where a guy popped out from behind another guy and I didn't see him."

With just 55 seconds left in the half, UW quarterback Dave Gosnell hit Kevin Lowe from nine yards out to put the Cowboys on the board, stunning the 76,215 in attendance at Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium.

The Pokes had dodged a pair of bullets. Nebraska fumbled inside the UW 10 and the pick by Ingram had the Cowboys thinking upset. They went into the locker room down just 14-7 to the mighty Big Red.

Then, it all fell apart.

To say the least.

Nebraska went on to score 28 unanswered points, including 21 in the third quarter to run away with the 42-7 opening-day win.

The Huskers went 10-2 that season and pounded No. 12 LSU in the Sugar Bowl.

Wyoming limped to a 6-6 record under Al Kincaid, dropping two of its last three games.

After beginning his career as a running back and rushing for 321 yards on 93 carries, Ingram successfully made the switch to defense where he and Lee Mitchell became one of the best corner combos in the Western Athletic Conference.

Wyoming went 8-3 during Ingram’s freshman season, knocking off No. 13 BYU 33-20. Ingram also went 3-1 against Colorado State and Air Force and helped lead the Pokes to a 24-10 win over Colorado at Folsom Field in 1982.

Honorable mention
Terrance Hendricks (1991-94) always seemed to be overshadowed during his career at Wyoming.

It’s easy to see why. He was Ryan Christopherson’s back up.

However, Henricks put up some stellar numbers under Joe Tiller, rushing for 1,461 yards and 18 touchdowns. Hendricks was a bulldozer at the goal line. Christopherson racked up the yardage, Hendricks finished it.

Hendricks, who also wore No. 9 at Wyoming, had his best season during his freshman campaign. He rushed for 815 yards on just 164 attempts and scored seven touchdowns.

Hendricks and Christopherson were a dynamic 1-2 punch. Tulsa found that out the hard way in 1994.

Christopherson gashed the Hurricane for 163 yards and a score, while Hendricks smashed his way to 113 in the 17-7 home win over Tulsa.

Who else wore No. 39
Jeff Frazier (DT), Monte Fosher (DB), Doug Shields (HB), Chuck Koeber (K), Chris Kujawa (HB), Jared Jarnagin (LB/FB/TE), Adam Brooks (P), Aric Goodman (K), Anthony Smith (RB/WR), Trey Fox (CB), Justin Martin (K), Justyn Stindt (WR), Mike Rafferty (DB)