Which Wyoming Cowboy wore it best? No. 12

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?

Sexton Len 1995

No. 12 – Len Sexton

Running back, 1995-96, Midwest City, Okla.

Résumé in Laramie
Len Sexton rushed for 1,636 yards on 293 attempts in his two seasons at Wyoming. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and found the end zone 12 times. Sexton also caught 48 passes out of the backfield, racking up 498 yards and six more touchdowns. Sexton led the Cowboys in rushing in both of his seasons in Laramie.

Why Sexton?
Marcus Harris was undoubtedly the Cowboys biggest weapon in 1996. Josh Wallwork orchestrated Joe Tiller’s wide-open offensive attack to perfection. David Saraf, Richard Peace and Wendell Montgomery grabbed headlines.

But the most versatile player in that offense was Len Sexton.

Not only was a he a runner who rarely went down on first contact – he averaged more than five yards per carry – he was also a threat to run away from linebackers and catch a ball down field. In 1996, Sexton snagged 34 passes for 345 yards and six touchdowns. Peace only had three. Montgomery, one.

Sexton had some wheels, too:

Sexton had one of the best games of his career against one of his in-state teams. In 1995, Oklahoma State paid a visit to Laramie. Those Cowboys featured the No. 9 rushing attack in the nation, led by David Thompson and Andre Richardson.

But it was the other Cowboys who featured the best back on this day.

Sexton gashed OSU for 147 yards on 21 carries. He didn’t get in the end zone himself during the 45-25 blowout win, but he did throw a touchdown pass, connecting with Harris on a 19-yard strike.

OSU’s dynamic backfield duo was held to just 18 yards on 20 carries in the first half. Wyoming’s offense scored five touchdowns in that time.

In 1996, Sexton had his breakout game against San Jose State, rushing for 184 yards and finding the end zone three times in the 45-22 victory. Sexton scored on runs of 68 yards, five yards and caught a 12-yard screen pass for a touchdown.

Though Sexton was one of the top recruits out of Carl Albert High School in the Oklahoma City area, he first went to Northeastern A&M. There he was a running back and defensive back.

Honorable mention
John Gustin finally got the reins of Tiller’s offense in 1994. And he didn’t disappoint. The senior from Boise threw for 2,757 yards and 17 touchdowns while leading the Cowboys to a 6-6 record.

Gustin, you might remember, almost led the Pokes to a trio of upsets over ranked teams that season. In road losses to Oregon State, Nebraska and Colorado State, Wyoming was right in it until the end. Especially the game in Lincoln, where the Pokes jumped out to a 21-7 lead on the No. 2 team in the nation.

Gustin, along with Jeremy Dombek, completed 25 of 46 passes for 344 yards against the vaunted “Blackshirts.”

Gustin played in 21 games for the Cowboys between 1991-94, completing 56.4 percent of his passes.

Shout out to safety Ron Rockett, too. He played a major role in the Cowboys getting to the Las Vegas Bowl and Beating UCLA in 2004. He was a hard-hitting safety with a knack for being around the ball. He picked off three passes in his two seasons in Laramie.

Who else wore No. 12
Sean Chambers (QB), Aaron Young (QB), Sonny Puletasi (DE), Ruben Narcisse (LB), Tramaine Brown (CB), Ian Hetrick (QB), Marcus Franklin (WR), Christian Irving (LB), Ja’Lani Ellison (DB), Dan Christopoulos (K), Steve Schafer (QB), Mike Leake (FL), Dale Patterson (RB), Mike McGill (RB), Daryl Harris (S), Tim Harris (WR), Tim Glynn (Bandit), Terrance Reese (WR), Dontae Crow (WR/P), Dan Christopulos (K)