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20th Century Top 50: Colorado
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|
Rank |
Profile |
|
1 |
Jack
Dempsey , Manassa
Won heavyweight title in 1919 after knocking down champion Jess Willard seven
times in first round; held belt for seven
years. |
|
2 |
Byron (Whizzer)
White , Wellington
Future U.S. Supreme Court justice led NFL in rushing in 1938 and '40 after
All-America career at
Colorado. |
|
3 |
Amy Van
Dyken , Englewood
NCAA swimmer of the year at Colorado State in 1994 became the first U.S. woman
to win four medals at one Olympics, in
'96.
|
|
4 |
Glenn
Morris , Simla
Won Sullivan Award in 1936 after setting world record in decathlon at Berlin
Olympics. |
|
5 |
Hale
Irwin , Boulder
Two-time All-Big Eight defensive back at Colorado before winning three U.S.
Opens, 17 other PGA Tour events and 25 Senior
titles. |
|
6 |
Jack
Christiansen , Cañon City
Safety twice led NFL in interceptions; Lions won three championships during his
eight-year career, from 1951 to
'58. |
|
7 |
Ed (Dutch)
Clark , Pueblo
Colorado College All-America; set Detroit Lions' single-season rushing record of
763 yards in 1934, which stood for 36
years. |
|
8 |
Pat
Day , Eagle
Won 1991 Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey; has ridden eight winners in
Triple Crown races; fourth alltime in
victories. |
|
9 |
Eddie
Eagan , Denver
Won gold medals at both the summer and winter Olympics: as a welterweight
boxer in 1920 and as a bobsledder in
'32. |
|
10 |
Rich (Goose)
Gossage , Colorado Springs
Perfected the role of the intimidating closer; saved 20 or more games 10
times and made eight All-Star
teams.
|
|
11 |
Dave
Logan , Wheat Ridge
Drafted by Reds out of high school and by Kansas City Kings in 1976 out of
Colorado; played nine NFL seasons as wide receiver. |
|
12 |
Dick
Anderson , Boulder
Consensus All-America for Buffaloes in 1967; played nine years with
Dolphins.
|
|
13 |
Joe
Romig , Lakewood
Two-way lineman was first three-time all-conference pick at Colorado (1959, '60
and '61); Rhodes
scholar.
|
|
14 |
Tom
Chambers , Boulder
Averaged 18.1 points in 16-year NBA career; scored 60 for Suns against Sonics in
1990. |
|
15 |
Bobby
Anderson , Boulder
Switched from quarterback to tailback two games into senior season at
Colorado and still made All-America; played in NFL from 1970 to
'75.
|
|
16 |
Hayes Alan
Jenkins , Colorado Springs
World figure skating champion from 1953 to '56; won Olympic gold in
'56. |
|
17 |
David
Jenkins , Colorado Springs
Succeeded brother Hayes as world champion and held crown until 1959; gold
medalist at '60
Olympics. |
|
18 |
Steve
Jones , Yuma
Has eight Tour wins including 1996 U.S. Open; equaled second-lowest 72-hole
score in Tour history (258) at '97 Phoenix
Open. |
|
19 |
Scott
Wedman , Denver
Set field goal shooting percentage record at Colorado in 1973-74 (53.5%);
averaged more than 15 points six straight seasons with Kansas City
Kings. |
|
20 |
Tony
Boselli , Boulder
All-America tackle at USC; second pick, for Jaguars, in 1995 NFL draft;
three-time
All-Pro. |
|
21 |
Phyllis
Lockwood , Fort Morgan
Played 11 years without a loss in state championship tennis
competition; named AAU basketball All-America in
1949.
|
|
22 |
William Thayer
Tutt , Colorado Springs
Built ice rink at Broadmoor Hotel, home to three Olympic figure skating
champions; instrumental in getting USOC to locate in town; awarded L'Ordre
Olympique, highest award given by
IOC. |
|
23 |
John
Stearns , Denver
Four-time All-Star as Mets catcher from 1975 to '84; lettered in football at
Colorado. |
|
24 |
Bill
Marolt , Aspen
Coached Olympic ski team to five medals in '84; coached Colorado to seven NCAA
titles; now CEO of U.S.
Ski. |
|
25 |
Don
Cockroft , Fountain
Twice led NFL in field goal percentage while with
Browns.
|
|
26 |
Wallace (Buddy)
Werner , Steamboat Springs
Top U.S. downhill skier for a decade but fell twice in 1964 Olympics and
died in an avalanche two months
later. |
|
27 |
Chauncey
Billups , Denver
Led Colorado basketball team to 22-win season as a sophomore in 1997;
averaged 13.9 points for Nuggets in
1998-99.
|
|
28 |
Danny
Jackson , Aurora
Went 23-8 with 2.73 ERA for Reds in 1988; won 112 games in major league
career and was two-time
All-Star. |
|
29 |
Barney
McLean , Hot Sulphur Springs
Participated in Olympic downhill and ski jump; was captain of U.S. team in
1948. |
|
30 |
Dale
Douglass , Fort Morgan
Won three PGA Tour events and 11 Senior tournaments, including 1986 U.S. Senior
Open.
|
|
31 |
Young Corbett
II , Denver
Knocked out "Terrible" Terry McGovern in 1901 to win world
featherweight title, which he held until
'02. |
|
32 |
Bridget
Turner , Aurora
Fourth-leading woman scorer and rebounder ever at Colorado, where she played
from 1985 to
'87.
|
|
33 |
Pat
Porter , Alamosa
Two-time Olympian at 10,000 meters; won a record eight straight U.S.
cross-country championships between 1982 and
'89. |
|
34 |
Thurman (Fum)
McGraw , Paonia
Tackle was Colorado State's first consensus All-America, in 1948; repeated in
'49; school's AD from 1976 to
'86. |
|
35 |
Charles
Bresnahan , Greeley
Only four-time, four-sport letterman in Colorado State history; All-Rocky
Mountain Conference in football in
1920. |
|
36 |
Joel
Steed , Aurora
Third-round pick from Colorado has started at nosetackle for Steelers since
1993; All-Pro in
'97.
|
|
37 |
Davis
Phinney , Boulder
Won a bronze in the 1984 Olympic cycling road race; in '86 became the first
American to win a stage of Tour de
France.
|
|
38 |
Tom
Rouen , Littleton
Punted for Colorado State, Colorado and both Broncos' Super Bowl winners;
engaged to Amy Van Dyken
(#4).
|
|
39 |
Irv
Brown , Denver
Coached Colorado baseball team; reffed six Final Fours; commentator on first
college football game on
ESPN.
|
|
40 |
Bruce
Ford , Kersey
Won five national titles as a bareback-bronc rider; first rodeo cowboy to win
$1 million in a
career. |
|
41 |
Chuck
Darling , Denver
Averaged 25.5 points for Iowa in 1955; member of gold medal basketball team
at '56 Olympics; won Senior National Championship in discus in
'92. |
|
42 |
Tippy
Martinez , La Junta
Went 10-3 for world champion Orioles in 1979; saved 115 games in major league
career.
|
|
43 |
Eddie
Dove , Loveland
Played halfback at Colorado and was second-team All-NFL in 1961 as 49ers
safety.
|
|
44 |
Bob
Howsam , La Jara
Responsible for bringing professional baseball to Colorado as part of group that
formed Denver Bears in 1947; G.M. of Cincinnati's Big Red
Machine. |
|
45 |
Greg
Myers , Windsor
Two-time All-America defensive back at Colorado State won Thorpe Award in
1995.
|
|
46 |
Adam
Berry , Denver
Won national collegiate and AAU high jump championships in 1941 before war
injury ended his
career. |
|
47 |
Art
Unger , Denver
Won three letters in each of three sports at Colorado in 1930s; played on
two AAU national champion basketball
teams.
|
|
48 |
Cullen
Bryant , Colorado Springs
Played defensive back at Colorado but rushed for 106 yards for Rams in 1979
NFC Championship
Game. |
|
49 |
Gordy
Wren , Steamboat Springs
First American to break 300 feet in ski jump; also first person to make
both Alpine and Nordic U.S. Olympic teams, in
1948. |
|
50 |
Greeley
Timothy , Greeley
Holds record unlikely to ever fall: 16 drop-kicked extra points in one game for
Greeley
High. |
