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With the entire country celebrating its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports is putting together its rankings of the top 10 college athletes from each state. The athlete does not have to be from the state, making plenty of Colorado football players eligible for consideration.
According to USA TODAY's Craig Meyer, four University of Colorado athletes made the cut along with three from Colorado State and one each from Colorado College, Air Force and Denver.
The three former Buffs on the list are Travis Hunter, Rashaan Salaam, Hale Irwin and Bryron White. All four played football at CU, with Irwin also starring at gold for the Buffaloes.
Hunter is the most recent player, having played less than two years ago at Folsom Field. The former Heisman winner has his number retired by Colorado after two seasons of elite production on both sides of the ball. Hunter was the rare two-way player who played both cornerback and wide receiver, logging 2,625 snaps during his two seasons at CU. He won the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in college football, the Biletnikoff Award as the sport's top wide receiver and the first repeat recipient of the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the nation's most versatile player.
Salaam is also a Colorado football legend as CU's only Heisman winner before Hunter came along. He rushed for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry and 186.8 yards per game en route to the Heisman.
Irwin might be the least-known name on the list for modern CU fans, having played college athletics in the mid-1960s. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Eight selection at cornerback and was a member of Colorado's all-century team in 1989. You can make the argument that he was a better golfer, winning the Big Eight championship two times and the NCAA title in 1967. Unsurprisingly, that led to a professional golf career in which he won 20 PGA Tour titles, including three U.S. Open wins.
White definitely has the most interesting career arc in Colorado history, considering he is not even best known for being Colorado football's first All-American, but rather for his 30-plus-year run as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. Before he was a government figure, he finished second in the Heisman after the 1937 season after leading the nation in rushing yards, total offense, all-purpose yards, and scoring. He was also a star on Colorado's baseball and basketball teams. Needless to say, White did it all throughout his life.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Four Colorado legends named among state's greatest college athletes
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According to USA TODAY's Craig Meyer, four University of Colorado athletes made the cut along with three from Colorado State and one each from Colorado College, Air Force and Denver.
The three former Buffs on the list are Travis Hunter, Rashaan Salaam, Hale Irwin and Bryron White. All four played football at CU, with Irwin also starring at gold for the Buffaloes.
Travis Hunter
Hunter is the most recent player, having played less than two years ago at Folsom Field. The former Heisman winner has his number retired by Colorado after two seasons of elite production on both sides of the ball. Hunter was the rare two-way player who played both cornerback and wide receiver, logging 2,625 snaps during his two seasons at CU. He won the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in college football, the Biletnikoff Award as the sport's top wide receiver and the first repeat recipient of the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the nation's most versatile player.
Rashaan Salaam
Salaam is also a Colorado football legend as CU's only Heisman winner before Hunter came along. He rushed for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry and 186.8 yards per game en route to the Heisman.
Hale Irwin
Irwin might be the least-known name on the list for modern CU fans, having played college athletics in the mid-1960s. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Eight selection at cornerback and was a member of Colorado's all-century team in 1989. You can make the argument that he was a better golfer, winning the Big Eight championship two times and the NCAA title in 1967. Unsurprisingly, that led to a professional golf career in which he won 20 PGA Tour titles, including three U.S. Open wins.
Byron White
White definitely has the most interesting career arc in Colorado history, considering he is not even best known for being Colorado football's first All-American, but rather for his 30-plus-year run as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. Before he was a government figure, he finished second in the Heisman after the 1937 season after leading the nation in rushing yards, total offense, all-purpose yards, and scoring. He was also a star on Colorado's baseball and basketball teams. Needless to say, White did it all throughout his life.
Other athletes to make the list
- Amy Van Dyken, Colorado State (swimming)
- Top career highlight: six Olympic gold medals
- Thurman McGraw, Colorado State (football, track and wrestling)
- Top career highlight: two-time All-Pro and NFL champion (Detroit Lions)
- Bill Masterton, Denver (hockey)
- Top career highlight: two NCAA championships and two-time All-American
- Chad Hennings, Air Force (football)
- Top career highlight: Outland Trophy winner in 1987, College Football Hall of Famer
- Bill Hay, Colorado College (hockey)
- Top career highlight: Hockey Hall of Famer
- Becky Hammon, Colorado State (basketball)
- Top career highlight: Ram's career leader in points, points per game, made field goals, made free throws, made 3-pointers and steals. She is also a longtime NBA assistant and current WNBA head coach.
Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Four Colorado legends named among state's greatest college athletes
Continue reading...
