LARAMIE — No other state is a bigger recruiting hotbed for the University of Wyoming than Colorado.

This list proves it.

Numerous UW Hall of Famers, NFL stars and program record holders began their football journeys in that square in the south. The Cowboys’ biggest rival, Colorado State, overlooked many of these guys. So did CU. Air Force even missed the mark a time or two.

Some simply chose Laramie over Fort Collins, Boulder, and Colorado Springs.

This summer, with the help of some loyal Wyoming football followers, we’re counting down the Top 25 Colorado products in the history of the program. As always, it doesn’t matter what these guys have done in professional football. This is all about the production in Laramie.

No. 1 – Galand Thaxton

Linebacker, 1984-87, Denver, CO

CV in Laramie

No player in Wyoming history has recorded as many tackles as Galand Thaxton. The Denver linebacker has 467 career stops, 13 more than Andrew Wingard. That mark has stood for nearly four decades and is in no immediate danger of being broken. Wingard couldn’t do it. Neither could Jim Talich, Logan Wilson or John Salley, some of the greatest tacklers to ever wear the Brown and Gold. Thaxton, who played for three different head coaches during his time in Laramie — Al Kincaid, Dennis Erickson and Paul Roach — also holds the single-season record for tackles with 158. That was during his junior year. The following season, he recorded 143, which still ranks as the second-most in program history. Thaxton helped lead the Cowboys to a Western Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the Holiday Bowl as a senior. Wyoming would go on to lose 20-19 to Iowa in San Diego. He had already earned WAC Rookie of the Year, First-Team honoree and two-time team captain (the first two earned in team history), but Thaxton added Associated Press Third-Team All-American to his resume in ’87. He spent parts of three seasons in the NFL, playing for the Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers. He was inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999. Read more about Galand Thaxton HERE.

About Denver

The state capital and most populous city in Colorado, the Denver Metro Area is home to nearly 3 million residents. The city itself is estimated at around 715,000. Nestled in the shadow of the nearby Rocky Mountains, the Mile High City is the 17th most populous area in the United States and the fifth largest capital city.

Pokes Football: Best of Colorado Series:

No. 25

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No. 2

Pokes Football: Best of Wyoming Series

(Cody Tucker and Jared Newland both work for Townsquare Media, which owns 7220sports.com. Kevin McKinney has been a color commentator for Cowboy football for five decades. Ryan Thorburn now works for the University of Wyoming in a sports information role after 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, having worked for 43 years as a reporter and columnist at CST. She currently writes for the Cowboy State Daily.)

– The 50 Greatest Football Players from the University of Wyoming