1969 Wyoming Cowboys football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 1969 Wyoming Cowboys football Western Athletic Conference WAC 6–4 4–3 Lloyd Eaton 8th Larry Nels Tommy Tucker War Memorial Stadium The 1969 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Lloyd Eaton, they were members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and played their home games on campus at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie. The Cowboys were three-time defending conference champions. They compiled a record of 6–4 (4–3 against conference opponents), finished fourth in the WAC, and outscored their opponents 242 to 118. Wyoming won its first six games, but lost the last four in a season tainted by a racial controversy. Schedule 1969 AP Mountain September 20 w Arizona War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY 23–7 20,400 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-missoulian-wyoming-downs-arizona/155437615/ The Missoulian Wyoming downs Arizona September 21, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com September 27 1:30 p.m. w y y Air Force Falcon Stadium Colorado Springs, CO 27–25 33,290 https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-wyoming-outlasts-air/155437723/ Rapid City Journal Wyoming outlasts Air Force 27–25 September 28, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com October 4 w 19 Colorado State War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY rivalry 39–3 15,140 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ogden-standard-examiner-cowboys-smot/155437810/ The Ogden Standard-Examiner Cowboys smother Rams 39–3 October 5, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com October 11 w 18 UTEP War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY 37–9 11,463 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-odessa-american-fox-paces-wyoming-ov/155437908/ The Odessa American Fox paces Wyoming over UTEP October 12, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com October 18 w 16 BYU War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY 40–7 14,993 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-billings-gazette-cowboys-smother-byu/155436729/ The Billings Gazette Cowboys smother BYU October 19, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com October 25 w 16 y y San Jose State War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY 16–7 18,791 https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-herald-defense-jacobs-toe-spark-w/155438028/ Scottsbluff Daily Star-Herald Defense. Jacobs' toe spark Wyoming by San Jose 16 to 7 October 26, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com November 1 l 15 y Arizona State Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ 14–30 48,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-devils-passing-overc/155432191/ The Arizona Daily Star Devils' passing overcomes Pokes November 2, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com November 8 l y Utah Rice Stadium Salt Lake City, UT 10–34 29,416 https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-utes-ambush-pokes-34/155433540/ Casper Star-Tribune Utes ambush Pokes 34–10 November 9, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com November 15 l y New Mexico University Stadium Albuquerque, NM 12–24 12,806 https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-rocky-long-bombs-pok/155438182/ Casper Star-Tribune Rocky Long bombs Pokes November 16, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com November 22 l 19 y y Houston Houston Astrodome Houston, TX 14–41 35,389 https://www.newspapers.com/article/austin-american-statesman-cougar-aerial/155438322/ Austin American-Statesman Cougar aerial bombs blitz Wyoming, 41–14 November 23, 1969 September 16, 2024 Newspapers.com 1969 NCAA Football Statistics (Wyoming) https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/174962 National Collegiate Athletic Association September 16, 2024 Roster 1969 Wyoming Cowboys f 73 So Conrad Dobler G y 10 Jr Ed Synakowski QB 26 Sr Joe Williams Joe Williams (running back, born 1947) RB y 88 Jr Tony McGee DE y Tony McGee (defensive lineman) *Lloyd Eaton "Black 14" controversy During the season in mid-October, head coach Eaton dismissed 14 black players from the team for asking to wear black armbands during the upcoming home game against the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars. At the previous year's win over BYU at Provo, some players claimed that Cougar players had subjected them to racial epithets.Henderson John Spirit of the Black 14 http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_13739558 The Denver Post November 8, 2009 November 15, 2015 A week before the game, the team's black members were reminded of the incident and also informed about the racial policies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which owns and operates BYU, and which at that time excluded black people from the priesthood of the LDS Church) by Willie Black, leader of Wyoming's Black Student Alliance, and challenged them to do something about it. The day before the game, the players donned black armbands on their civilian clothes and went to Eaton's office to discuss how they might show solidarity with the BSA protest.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EatVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4622%2C4300487 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Armbands caused troubles October 19, 1969 2B Upon seeing them with the armbands the coach immediately dismissed them from the team.Putnam Pat No Defeats, Loads of Trouble https://www.si.com/vault/1969/11/03/611044/no-defeats-loads-of-trouble Sports Illustrated November 3, 1969 26 According to Joe Williams, a team co-captain before he was suspended from the team, "We wanted to see if we could wear black armbands in the game, or black socks, or black X's on our helmets. And if he had said no we had already agreed that we would be willing to protest with nothing but our black skins." Eaton took them to the bleachers in Memorial Fieldhouse, and said he listened to their suggestions for ten minutes before deciding to release them. Williams gives a very different account: "He [Eaton] came in, sneered at us and yelled that we were off the squad. He said our very presence defied him. He said he has had some good Neeegro boys. Just like that." Defensive end Tony McGee said that Eaton "said we could go to Grambling State or Morgan State... We could go back to colored relief. If anyone said anything, he told us to shut up. We were really protesting policies we thought were racist." John Griffin, a flanker, corroborates McGee's memory. Tony Gibson agreed with the other players that Eaton kicked them off the team before they could even present a case. At the time, Wyoming fans and much of the state backed Eaton and his "no protesting" policy, and saw the Black 14 as insubordinate and ungrateful. At San Jose State University, the Spartans were petitioned in a letter by a UW student group to boycott the homecoming game in Laramie;https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FKtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6649%2C5419516 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Wyoming faction asks for support from SJS October 22, 1969 4D San Jose voted to play the game and wear multicolored armbands in support of the 14.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FKtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5406%2C5420047 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press San Jose will wear armbands October 22, 1969 4D Groups at other WAC schools demanded that Wyoming be dropped from their schedules.http://si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082992/2/index.htm When Coach Lloyd Eaton of Wyoming's unbeaten football - 11.03.69 - SI Vault 2015-07-25 2013-12-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20131204162718/http://si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082992/2/index.htm dead At the time of the incident in mid-October, the Cowboys were undefeated (4–0) and ranked 16th in the AP poll.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pWtYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J_gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1966%2C4089221 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Associated Press 3 schools gain; Ohio State firm October 14, 1969 15 Even though they beat BYU 40–7,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EqtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6650%2C4898715 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Trouble at Wyoming expected to invade other sports October 20, 1969 3B and San Jose State (the next game) without the players to improve to 6–0,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GKtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4804%2C6102941 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press SJS fails in upset bid October 26, 1969 2B Wyoming lost all four road games in November and went 1–9 the next year which prompted Eaton's removal as coach, though he stayed on as assistant athletic director.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gdtaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l20DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7143%2C3141541 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press No regrets says Eaton, 13 years after 'crash' May 14, 1982 17 The program had only one winning season in the 1970s, in 1976 under second-year head coach Fred Akers, who left after the Fiesta Bowl, returning to the University of Texas to succeed Darrell Royal. The Black 14 included Earl Lee, John Griffin, Willie Hysaw, Don Meadows, Ivie Moore, Tony Gibson, Jerome Berry, Joe Williams, Mel Hamilton, Jim Issac, Tony McGee, Ted Williams, Lionel Grimes, and Ron Hill. The Black 14: Race, Politics, Religion and Wyoming Football http://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/black-14-race-politics-religion-and-wyoming-football WyoHistory.org 2017-07-23 The Wyoming State Historical Society Three of the underclassmen returned to play for the Cowboys in 1970: Griffin, Meadows, and Ted Williams. McGee transferred to Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, was a third round selection in the 1971 NFL draft, and played fourteen seasons for three NFL teams (Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins). The Black 14 incident spurred the court case Williams v. Eaton, with the issue of free speech against the principle of separation of church and state. Litigation was lengthy for this case and ended on October 31, 1972. Introduction http://www.uwyo.edu/ahc/black14/ The Black 14 2015-11-12 University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center dead https://web.archive.org/web/20151223202406/http://www.uwyo.edu/ahc/black14/ 2015-12-23 In 2019, the fiftieth anniversary of the Black 14 being dismissed, the University of Wyoming invited the surviving players back and made several amends. The eight players that returned were invited to speak to history classes and meet with student athletes; attend a special dinner with university officials and receive an official apology letter signed by President Laurie Nichols; and were given both Wyoming football jerseys and Wyoming letterman jackets.Fifty years after the Black 14 were banished, Wyoming football reckons with the past The Black 14 were the recipients of the 2023 NCAA Inspiration Award.https://www.ncaa.org/news/2022/12/6/media-center-black-14-to-receive-ncaa-2023-inspiration-award.asp Black 14 to receive NCAA 2023 Inspiration Award December 6, 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association NFL draft Three Cowboys were selected in the 1970 NFL draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (442 selections).https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1970/draft.htm?redir 1970 NFL Draft Pro-Football-Reference.com November 9, 2013 Player Position Round Overall Franchise Vic Washington Wide receiver 4 87 San Francisco 49ers Larry Nels Defensive lineman 12 298 New York Giants Joe Williams Running back 12 309 Dallas Cowboys Defensive end Tony McGee was selected in the third round of the 1971 NFL draft and played for 14 seasons. List of Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL draft References Further reading https://nypost.com/2019/09/13/university-of-wyoming-honors-black-players-kicked-off-football-team-in-1969/ University of Wyoming honors black players kicked off football team in 1969 AP New York Post September 13, 2019 September 13, 2019 External links Sports Reference – 1969 season – Wyoming Cowboys Justia US Law – court case – Williams v. Eaton Black 14 films at the American Heritage Center Wyoming Wyoming Cowboys football Category:1969 controversies in the United States Category:Wyoming Cowboys football seasons Category:Athlete activism in the United States