Black 14: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Wyoming Football

By: Ryan Thorburn

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

In the 1960s Muhammad Ali was at his most colorful in a black and white America going through a social revolution. Soldiers were dying in Vietnam, and college students were protesting on campus. One of the strongest voices was that of the black athlete. Not at the University of Wyoming. The only colors that mattered here in the ’60s were brown and gold, and the only issue worth paying attention to was Cowboy football. The ’Pokes beat Florida State in the 1966 Sun Bowl to finish 10-1 and were 10-1 again in 1967 with an appearance in the Sugar Bowl. Many fans believed head coach Lloyd Eaton had his best team in 1969. Wyoming was on the verge of becoming a college football powerhouse. And then it happened: Race, religion, authority, protest, and football collided on the high plains of Laramie. The 14 black players on the team wanted to wear black armbands during the upcoming game against Brigham Young University to protest the policies of the Mormon Church, which did not allow blacks to enter into the priesthood. Eaton gave them the boot. And everything about Cowboys football changed forever.