S
4
Sat.
COLORADO
Denver, Colo.
Noon
20-59-2
S 11
Sat.
at Nevada
Reno, Nev.
8:30 p.m.
9-1-0
S 18
Sat.
at Miami (Ohio)
Oxford, Ohio
1:30 p.m.
0-1-0
S 25
Sat.
IDAHO
Fort Collins, Colo.
2 p.m.
(none)
3-3-0
O 2
Sat.
TCU*
Fort Collins, Colo.
Noon
1-6-0
O 9
Sat.
at Air Force*
Colorado Springs, Colo. Noon
19-28-1
O 16
Sat.
UNLV*
Fort Collins, Colo.
Noon
12-5-1
O 23
Sat.
at Utah*
Salt Lake City, Utah
4 p.m.
22-54-2
O 30
Sat.
NEW MEXICO*
Fort Collins, Colo.
4 p.m.
32-25-0
N 6
Sat.
at San Diego State*
San Diego, Calif.
8 p.m.
13-16-0
N 13
Sat.
BRIGHAM YOUNG*
Fort Collins, Colo.
Noon
27-38-3
N 20
Sat.
at Wyoming*
Laramie, Wyo.
Noon
54-41-5
*—Mountain West Conference Opponent
All dates and times subject to change
FOR TICKETS, CALL 1-800/491-RAMS or visit CSURams.com
Date
Day
Opponent
Site
Mtn. Time
TV
Series
(H
OMECOMING& F
AMILYW
EEKEND)
(A
GD
AY& O
RANGEO
UT)
(H
ALL OFF
AMEG
AME)
(S
ENIORD
AY)
UNITY
C
OLORADOS
TATEF
OOTBALL2010
“All your strength is in union, all your danger is in discord."
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The strength of the team is each individual. The strength of each individual is the team.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell together in unity.” —Psalm 133:1
S
CHEDULE
1
2010 SCHEDULE
TABLE OF CONTENTS & GENERAL INFORMATION
This is Colorado StateUniversity introduction ...4
Fort Collins & Colorado...6
World-class academics ...8
Support for the student-athlete...10
Facilities to support future success ...11
Academic & Training Center...12
Indoor Practice Facility ...13
Joey Porter Locker Room ...14
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium...15
Gameday in Fort Collins ...16
Rich tradition ...17
Bowl games ...18
Mountain West Conference football ...19
Media exposure ...20
Colorado State in the NFL ...21
Colorado State’s coaching staff...22
CSU spirit squads ...23
Denver, the Mile High City...24
Distinguished alumni ...26
Administration and Coaches Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk...28
Head Coach Steve Fairchild...30
Brown, Scott ...33 Duffie, Tim ...34 Hammerschmidt, Dan ...35 Hill, Anthoney ...36 Kerr, Larry...37 Lewis, Larry ...38 Meyer, Pat...39 Stroud, Todd ...40 Wilkinson, Daren ...41
Director of Football Operations Tom Ehlers ...42
Strength & Conditioning Coach Greg Scanlan ...43
Football support staff...44
Athletic department staff...45
2010 Preview Outlook ...54
Personnel capsule...57
Rosters ...58
Geographical roster (by state) ...86
Depth charts, pronunciation guide ...60-61 2010 Players Returning veterans and key contributors...64-106 Scholarship newcomers & other players ...107-113 Biographical index ...63
2009 season Statistics, team/individual & results...116
Statistics, game-by-game ...118
Game-by-game starters ...120
Standings & NCAA statistical rankings ...121
Game summaries ...122-133 Records Individual rushing ...135
Individual passing...136
Individual receiving, scoring and total offense...137
Individual defense...138
Individual special teams...139
Team...140-141 Bowl records...195
100-yard rushing games...142
300-yard passing/100-yard receiving games ...143
Year-by-year leaders ...144
Annual W-L record...146
Coaching chronology ...146
CSU vs. the nation ...147
Series results vs. 2010 opponents...148
Attendance records...150
History Letterwinners, all-time ...152
Assistant coaches, all-time ...159
Results, all-time...160
Conference statistical champions ...166
All-Americans and other all-time honors ...167
All-conference selections, all-time ...168
Historical biographies ...170
NFL Draft selections...178
NFL player history...179
Bowl game summaries ...183
Stadium history ...196
Miscellaneous Opponent capsules ...198
Colorado State Sports Hall of Fame ...201
Television appearances, all-time ...202
Mountain West Conference...203
Instant replay information...203
Media policies and information...204
Colorado State Radio Network ...206
Media outlets/Detailed media guide index...207
2010 Colorado State Football Media Guide Editor/Project Coordinator: Zak Gilbert Writing, prepress-formatting, desktop layout, design and research: Zak Gilbert Writing, layout and research assistance provided by: Stuart Buchanan, Nick Frank, Andrew Woerpel, Danny Mattie, Gary Ozzello, Nick Sebesta, Matt Pucak, Thomas Brink, Marcie Johnston, Linda Krier, Danielle Marshall, Kiley Long, Nik Olsen, Tony Phifer, Paul Miller, John Hirn, Justin Warren, Mark Hanson, Kathy Phifer, pro-footballreference.com and Dan Bahn. Special acknowledgment to Dan Byers for his unselfish photography services; to John Hirn and his Web site, coloradoaggies.com, and new book, Aggies to Rams, the History of Football at Colorado State Uni-versity for invaluable assistance in verifying history and supplying photos; and to Chris and his staff at Men’s Wearhouse of Fort Collins for assistance with the business attire for the inside covers.
QuickFacts
Colorado State University Location...Fort Collins, Colo. 80523 Enrollment ...25,413 Nickname, Colors ...Rams, Forest Green & Gold Stadium ...Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium Capacity ...32,500 Conference...Mountain West President ...Dr. Anthony A. Frank Director of Athletics...Paul Kowalczyk Head Coach...Steve Fairchild Career Record ...10-15, third season Office Phone...970/491-6131 Offensive Formation ...Multiple Defensive Formation...4-3 2009 Record/MWC...3-9/0-8 (9th) 2009 Total Lettermen ...572010 Lettermen Returning/Lost...40/17 2010 Starters Returning (O/D) ... 14 (4/10) 2009 Starters Lost (O/D)...9 (7/2) Athletic Media Relations Director/Football Contact ...Zak Gilbert Office phone ...970/491-5067 E-mail ...zak.gilbert@colostate.edu FAX...970/491-1348 Press Box Phone ...970/491-8100, 8111 Web site ...CSURams.com General Information First Year of Football ...1893
All-Time Record...471-519-33 (.477) Home...237-183-11 (.563) Away...222-322-22 (.412) Hughes Stadium ...119-96-2 (.553) Conference Championships ...15
Last Championship ...2002, Mountain West Bowl Appearances ...12 (5-7) First Appearance ...Jan. 1, 1949 Bowl...Raisin Bowl (Fresno, Calif.) Result...Occidental 21, Colorado A&M 20 Last Appearance ...2008 Bowl ...New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, N.M.) Result ...Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35
IN MEMORIAM
K
ELIS
COTTM
CG
REGOR1962-2010
The 2010 Colorado State football media guide is dedicated to the
memory of Keli McGregor, who passed away in April.
The Colorado State athletic department was stunned this spring,
learning of former All-American and longtime family member
Keli McGregor's death.
McGregor, President of the Colorado Rockies Baseball Club, was
a United Press International and Associated Press All-American
in 1984. He arrived on the CSU campus as a pre-vet major who
didn't have any scholarship offers out of Lakewood High School
due to his smaller size. But he hit a growth spurt soon after
com-ing to Fort Collins, and head football coach Sark Arslanian, who
knew his father (the head coach at Arvada West), convinced
Gregor to join his team in time for the fall of 1981. After
Mc-Gregor played varsity as a walk-on in '81, Arslanian promised
him a scholarship the following fall, but the university replaced the
coach before he could make good on that endeavor, leaving
Mc-Gregor uncertain about his future. However, athletic director Fum
McGraw and new head coach Leon Fuller made sure McGregor's
scholarship was waiting for him when he returned for fall camp in
1982, and the tight end became one of the most prolific offensive
weapons in CSU history.
ON THE COVER — An indescribable sunset and the Aggie A serve as the backdrop on a gorgeous Colorado evening as the Rams do battle at Hughes Stadium (Brendan Dorrler photo).
—A DETAILED MEDIA GUIDE INDEX IS ON PAGE 207; A BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX IS ON PAGE 63—
C
ONTENTS
At Colorado State University, we believe that strong, competitive
ath-letic programs are built on a foundation of student-athletes who embody
the high personal standards, strong character, and a commitment to
serv-ice that are paramount to the University’s mission. It is CSU’s expectation
that our student-athletes’ commitment to their teams is rivaled only by
their commitments to academics and being a positive role model on our
campus and in our community. Together, working as
a team, they earn the opportunity to give CSU fans
reason to celebrate and reward our fans for their
pas-sion and loyalty.
As proud as I am of our student-athletes’
perform-ance on the football field, I am even more proud that
every football player committed during February and
March to volunteering their time to community
or-ganizations through Coach Steve Fairchild’s service
initiative. At CSU, we believe that when students make
positive contributions to the community now, they
will become community pillars after their graduation.
Earning a CSU degree is our ultimate goal for each
student-athlete at CSU, and Ram fans can be proud
that under Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk and our
committed coaching staff, CSU athletes graduate at a
higher rate than the general student body.
While we have high standards for our student-athletes both in the
classroom and on the field, it is the University’s responsibility to provide
these young individuals with the tools they need to compete at the
high-est levels. That is why CSU has invhigh-ested in its athletics programs through
the addition of new state-of-the-art training facilities at the Academic and
Training Center, which offers student-athletes quality weight-training
fa-cilities paired with study environments, computer labs, and academic
support to ensure their success in both athletics and academics.
We’ve also invested in the training of our athletes through the
con-struction of a 66,000-square-foot indoor training center, which makes
practice in any weather safe, productive, and more comfortable for our
student-athletes.
Like our fans, we have high expectations for our athletics programs.
We expect our football team to be making a bowl appearance after a
suc-cessful season competing for the Mountain West Conference title, and
being the top football program along the Front Range of the Rocky
Moun-tains. Success on the playing field is a reward to our many loyal fans and
donors for their commitment and continued support of the Colorado State
University Rams.
Thank you to all for your support of CSU athletics, and go Rams!
Dr. Tony Frank
President
This is
THE UNIVERSITY A
T A GLANCE
Colorado State University is transforming lives, solving problems,
supporting economic vitality, and targeting our world’s greatest
chal-lenges. Committed to the land-grant heritage of education, research,
and outreach, Colorado State sets the standard as a 21st-century
re-search university characterized by a global reach, scholarly excellence,
and an immediate impact on the world. And as a land-grant university,
we’re particularly committed to creating access and opportunity for
people in Colorado and around the world who can benefit from our
spe-cial brand of hands-on, engaged learning.
As a Carnegie Community Engagement University, Colorado State
University leads the world in disciplines such as human and animal
health, clean energy and the environment, global and sustainable
busi-ness, engineering, and climate research.
C
hallenging academic programs and world-changing research
are hallmarks of Colorado State, and it is our special
commit-ment to service, outreach, and transforming our world through
innovation that sets this university apart from other institutions. That
commitment is reflected in our classrooms, in the work of our faculty
around the world, and in our groundbreaking commitment to move
re-search breakthroughs rapidly from the laboratory to the marketplace.
Even more important, it is reflected in the quality of our students and
graduates, who embody the university’s mission and go on from CSU
to make a significant impact on our world.
With more than 150 programs of study and 78 undergraduate degree
programs offered in eight colleges and the graduate school, and a
fac-ulty-to-student ratio of 17:1, students have access to a wealth of
edu-cational possibilities at
Col-orado State. Along with
out-standing programs in the
liberal and performing arts,
humanities and social
sci-ences, Colorado State offers
some of the top professional
programs in the country in
construction management,
occupational therapy,
psy-chology, communications and
agriculture.
Colorado State is also
mak-ing investments in new
facili-ties — $27 million has been
committed for building a new
indoor practice facility and a
new academic and training
center dedicated to
student-athletes. New residence halls,
a parking garage, and both
new and renovated academic
buildings are just a few of the
projects under construction
across campus.
We invite you to learn more about Colorado State, a university with
vision, character, and a commitment to excellence.
T
HEU
NIVERSITY4
2010 CSU F
C
OLORADO
S
TATE
U
NIVERSITY
S
YSTEM
and the
B
OARD OF
G
OVERNORS
The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System represents the
people of Colorado, assuring effective management, accountability, and
responsi-ble leadership of all the CSU System campuses – Fort Collins, Pueblo and the new
online Global Campus.
Board members come from across the state and from many fields — business,
public service, agriculture — and share a strong commitment to excellence,
in-novation, and student success.
The Board of Governors sets a standard of excellence for
all the campuses that carry the Colorado State name,
through the establishment of a bold vision, mission, and
values coupled with ambitious stretch goals for each
cam-pus, and strongly supports Colorado State athletics
pro-grams as a source of pride for students, alumni, and the
State of Colorado.
The Board of Governors and the CSU System work to
fur-ther the roles of its three universities to be integral
contrib-utors to the economic development of the state. Work force education, research
funding and new business and product development are some of the areas where
the institutions are excelling.
Patrick McConathy Chairman of the Board CEO,
Yarmony Energy
Bonifacio A. Cosyleon Secretary
President,
Byerly and Cosyleon Inc
Tom Farley Voting Member Regent,
Santa Clara University
John Ikard Voting Member President & CEO, FirstBank Holding Co.
Joseph C. Zimlich Voting Member Chief Executive Officer, Bohemian Companies Ed Haselden
Vice Chairman President & CEO, Haselden Construction
Marguerite Salazar Treasurer President & CEO, Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc. Patrick Grant
Voting Member President & CEO, National Western Stock Show Association
Douglas L. Jones Voting Member President & Owner, The Jones Realty Group Joe Blake Chancellor Colorado State University System
T
HEU
NIVERSITY5
2010 CSU F
OO TB ALLwww.csusystem.edu
2010 CSU F
F
OR TC
OLLINS6
THIS IS FORT COLLINS & COLORADO
One of Colorado’s most vibrant cities, Fort Collins is the one of the best places in the country to live, work, and play.
Located on the northern Front Range of the majestic Rocky Mountains, the city is within an hour’s drive of Denver, the
nation’s 25th-largest metro area. Breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park is just west of the city, and some of the
world’s most spectacular ski areas are an easy drive from campus.
This city of 137,000 residents basks in 300 days of sunshine per year – more than San Diego and Florida – and
in-cludes the historic Old Town district with its restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues, all within walking distance
of Colorado State University’s campus.
Since its founding as a military fort in 1864, Fort Collins has
anchored northern Colorado’s rich heritage of academic,
busi-ness and recreational pursuits. Hiking, mountain biking,
kayak-ing, river rafting and rock climbing are just a few popular
outdoor pursuits for students and residents.
The city maintains more than 600 acres of parks, 5,000
acres of natural areas, 20 miles of off-street trails for hiking
and biking, and three golf courses.
The Lincoln Center and the
Univer-sity Center for the Arts, anchored in
Fort Collins, are northern Colorado’s
cultural arts centers.
FORT COLLINS FACTS
No. 1 place to live in the United States (Money magazine, August 2006).
No. 1 Best Place to Live and Work for Young Professionals (population 100,000-200,000),
Next Generation Consulting, March 2009.
No. 2 in Forbes magazine’s best United States cities for business and careers (March
2009); Denver ranked 14th and Boulder was 20th among five Colorado locations in the
publication’s top 40.
One of the Top 20 Places to Thrive (Best Boomer Towns, February 2009).
Ranked 10th-best educated city in America (Forbes magazine, November 2008).
One of the Best Places to Raise Your Kids (BusinessWeek, November 2008).
Gold level Bicycle Friendly Community (League of American Bicyclists,
September 2008).
The fifth-largest city in Colorado, with a population of 137,000.
F
OR TC
OLLINS7
2010 CSU F
OO TB ALLWORLD-CLASS ACADEMICS
Colorado State University takes very seriously its role in educating student-athletes. Excellence is
expected on the field and in the classroom.
T
he most recent NCAA academic statistics reveal that Colorado State leads the Mountain West
Conference in graduation rate for student-athletes at 66 percent – well ahead of the
confer-ence’s overall student-athlete graduation rate of 57 percent. In football, Colorado State is
sec-ond in the MWC, graduating 68 percent of its student-athletes – again, well ahead of the conference
average of 49 percent.
Colorado State, however, is not resting on its reputation for graduating its student-athletes. The
state-of-the-art Anderson Academic Center, which has greatly enhance the academic facilities
avail-able for student-athletes, opened in September 2009.
While the athletic department takes its role in the educational process very seriously, Colorado
State’s mission to provide a world-class education is at the core of academic success.
U.S. News and
World Report ranked Colorado State in its top tier in its annual “America’s Best Colleges” report. The
university offers 79 majors and 27 minors, and many of its programs
are ranked among the best in the country.
Colorado State continues to push forward in its mission to provide
the best possible education. Construction recently was completed on
the state-of-the-art University Center for the Arts and Computer
Sci-ence buildings, the Indoor Practice Facility, Academic and Training
Center, and the College of Business’ Rockwell Hall expansion.
CSU strongly believes in
experiential learning,
giving students hands-on
experience in the field.
A
CADEMICS
8
A
CADEMICS9
2010 CSU F
OO TB ALLWORLD-CLASS ACADEMICS
LEADING THE WAY
Jeff Horinek set the standard for scholar-athletes at Colorado State. In
addition to his outstanding play at linebacker, where he logged 41
consec-utive starts and helped the Rams to a New Mexico Bowl win over
Fresno State, Horinek graduated in May 2009 with a degree in health
and exercise science, carrying a 3.88 grade-point average. He was one of
15 national finalists for the Draddy Trophy – often called the Academic
Heisman – and earned an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship from the
National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
CSU’s Veterinary Medicine program ranks second in the country and is the national
leader in federal research dollars.
BusinessWeek ranked CSU’s undergraduate College of Business program 67th (up
from 73rd in 2008). The program ranks 30th among all public schools and 14th
among all colleges and universities in the West and Southwest. The marketing and
business law programs were ranked in the nation’s Top 10 by the magazine.
In December 2008, CSU conferred its 150,000th bachelor’s degree and 200,000th
overall degree.
According to NCAA statistics, CSU’s graduation rate for student-athletes is higher
than the graduation rate for the overall student body. Of the 17 seniors on CSU’s 2008
football roster — five of which went on to the NFL — all 17 will own a degree by the
time the Rams kick off the ‘10 season. Of the 16 seniors on CSU’s 2009 roster —
seven of which went on to the NFL — all 16 will own a degree by the time the Rams
begin 2011 spring practice.
“If a guy stays here and goes through the program, he’s graduating. I’m confident of that. We have
too much academic help and our coaches care too much. If a player comes to school here and stays all
four or five years, he's going to get a degree. I like what Pat Summitt, the coach of Tennessee's women's
basketball team, said. She said they have a 99-percent graduation rate, asterisk, with those who stay.
If someone chooses to go through this program at CSU, he's going to get a degree.”
A
CADEMICS
UPPOR T10
2010 CSU F
SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENT-ATHLETE
Q&A
WITHW
ADET
ROXELLWhat do you tell visiting high-school athletes who are thinking
about coming to Colorado State?
One thing I try to tell prospective football players is that CSU is a great place, not only to play
football in a great conference, but also to get a terrific education. Take my field for example,
engineering. Colorado State is the best place to balance the demands of your studies with the
time commitment required by football, because CSU offers outstanding support for its
stu-dent-athletes. Plus, CSU expects them to graduate. CSU’s faculty meshes well with its
foot-ball staff. Both sides work together to help an individual student-athlete reach the zenith of
his potential.
From what you’ve seen so far, how has Steve Fairchild shown his
commitment to the CSU student-athlete?
Well, first and foremost, Steve is an outstanding individual. He’s a man of high integrity. He
has high expectations of himself. He’s a family man, a real credit to his profession. That
translates into the kind of staff he’s put together, and also communicates to his players that he has high
expec-tations of them. Those players have a tremendous opportunity at CSU to learn from a mentor such as him. One
of the things a player gets at CSU in addition to a great on-field opportunity – great competition against great
op-ponents – is the chance to learn how to grow as an individual under Steve and his staff. They’ll make sure the
player gets an education, but also learns about life and how to be a leader in the community.
Describe the bulk of student-athletes at CSU. What makes them different? What
characterizes them academically?
First of all, students in general at CSU have a lot of varying interests, and excel in many different ways. The
stu-dent-athlete here is no different in that they’re elite athletes and are pursuing their academic interests. CSU gives
them an opportunity not only to be the best in their sport, but also a chance to be the best in their chosen careers.
In engineering, for example, I had CSU teammates when I was a student-athlete who now are leaders in their
cho-sen profession. They not only were successful here in college, but they went on to be successful after
gradua-tion, too.
What kind of relationship does the athletic department have with the faculty?
The faculty and staff have an excellent connection with the athletic department. Both the faculty and staff
recog-nizes that we’re all here to serve as mentors and educate student-athletes, in giving them a high-quality
educa-tion. The football staff engages faculty so they’re involved in all processes of recruiting and the development of
the student-athlete from the time they’re still in high school until they graduate here at Moby Arena.
According to the NFL, the average professional playing career is 3.5 years.
Know-ing that, what does CSU offer for the long-term future of a prospective football
player, beyond the NFL?
There’s always the possibility of injury in this game. Everyone wants to get drafted, and CSU has a great history
of players in the NFL, but the stark reality is that your chances to continue your playing career really diminish after
college. In that context, CSU wants student-athletes to succeed academically. That’s why they’re not admitted
into a particular major unless we believe that they have the aptitude and capacity to complete their degree. And
the result of getting that degree at CSU is long-term dividends that pay throughout one’s life, whether he plays in
the NFL or not. At CSU, you get an outstanding education in a very personal way, with individual mentoring,
coaching and advising. We want you to compete at the highest level of Division I football, but we also want you
to become gainfully employed and qualified to launch a successful career in a chosen field. You cannot find a
bet-ter opportunity to do both than what we offer at Colorado State.
What makes CSU different?
Wade Troxell is associate dean for research and economic development in CSU’s College of Engineering,
and a former Colorado State football letterman (1975-78) and team captain (1978)
F
ACILITIES11
2010 CSU F
OO TB ALLFACILITIES TO SUPPORT FUTURE SUCCESS
T
HERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE AR
AM2010 NFL Draft selection Shelley Smith,
now with the Houston Texans
The Fum McGraw Center, named after the most prominent figure in
Colorado State athletics history, was erected in 1999
at a cost of $8.6 million
"This one's been in planning practically
from Day 1 when I got here and
pre-sented this information to the President.
With the President's reinforcement and
reinvestment in athletics, we really want
to get this thing moving as fast as we
can. It's a statement about our program
and it means we care about ourselves
and we're going to go out and recruit the
best student-athletes we can and put
Colorado State back on the map.”
—Director of Athletics Paul Kowalczyk,
announcing in April 2008 CSU’s plans to build
$20 million in new athletic facilities by Fall 2009
N
EWF
ACILITIES12
2010 CSU F
ACADEMIC & TRAINING CENTER
E
XCELLENCE FOR THEM
IND& B
ODYThe Academic and Training Center and its fraternal twin — the Indoor Practice Facility — will
enable CSU to offer its student-athletes an opportunity to succeed at the highest levels nationally, in
the classroom and in the arena of competition
Cost:
$7 million
Size:
17,000 square feet
Opened:
September 2009
Location:
Southeast of the McGraw Athletic Center
Features
Training portion of the ground floor includes a
state-the-art weight room, strength and conditioning
of-fices, a nutrition center and restrooms.
The Anderson Academic Center features five tutorial
rooms, large study areas and a spiral staircase.
Includes a computer lab with 30 workstations, more
workspace and offices for CSU's academic staff.
In 1998, Colorado State enhanced its weight room and built
an academic center as part of the McGraw Athletic Center
project, but these facilities no longer met the needs of an
ex-panded student-athlete base, nor did they allow the Rams to
compete for top-quality recruits.
Because of the heavy time constraints placed on CSU
stu-dent-athletes through practice, travel, strength and
condi-tioning, and community service, a quality learning
environment is essential for the university’s student-athletes
to achieve the high standards of academic success expected
of them.
The new Academic and Training Center is a centerpiece for
CSU’s athletic program and supports its mission to recruit,
educate, develop, and graduate Rams student-athletes within
an environment that pursues excellence, values integrity and
ethical conduct, promotes respect for all individuals, teaches
sportsmanship, entertains our constituents, and emphasizes
championship performance.
Colorado State has taken a major step forward,
a $20 million leap toward a vivid future.
N
EWF
ACILITIES13
2010 CSU F
OO TB ALLINDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY
A
SO
UTSTANDING AS ANYC
OLLEGIATEI
NDOORF
ACILITY IN THEN
ATIONEvery CSU program is a beneficiary of these facilities. The indoor
prac-tice facility is used by each of the Rams’ 16 varsity sports, whether they
are in season or involved in offseason conditioning.
Cost:
$13 million
Size:
66,000 square feet, including 48,125 dedicated to the football portion and 8,827
to the basketball/volleyball area
Height:
65 feet at its tallest point
Opened:
August 2009
Location:
East of the Moby Pool and north of the Student Recreation Center
Features
Contains a 70-yard synthetic-turf football field (including one end zone).
Features a four-lane, 70-meter track and a unique shoe-changing room adjacent to the
football field.
Gymnasium easily encloses a regulation basketball court and two half courts.
Volleyball configuration can accommodate two full-length courts.
Has flexibility to allow the softball team to set up batting cages on the football field.
Provides shelter for any student-athlete in each of the Rams' 16 varsity sports.
Includes training room, equipment storage, lobby and trophy display case, and restrooms.
Uses an innovative air circulation system.
Quality Construction Partners
Designed by Aller-Lingle Architects P.C., and RATIO Architects, Inc., the facilities were built by
Saunders Construction, Inc.
Aller-Lingle, a local firm instrumental in several campus projects, including recent Hughes
Sta-dium renovations, served as the lead architect on both new buildings. The firm sought the
assis-tance of Indianapolis-based RATIO because of its recent experience in the design of similar venues
at BCS universities such as Illinois, Oregon, West Virginia and Indiana.
Saunders has played a significant role in the construction of several prominent Colorado projects,
including the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre in Dove Valley and the Broomfield Events
Center.
"I researched athletics facilities in the Mountain
West Conference during an internship with the
President's office. CSU's new facility has placed
us at the top of indoor facilities in the MWC.
The impact on our entire program will continue
to be tremendous."
— 1,000-yard rusher Kyle Bell,
2009 Jacksonville Jaguars free agent
L
OCKERR
OOM14
2010 CSU F
THE JOEY PORTER LOCKER ROOM
D
EDICATED2005
"I am excited to be able to provide this gift to Colorado
State football. My time at CSU was very special as a
foot-ball player and a student-athlete. Coach Lubick provided
me with an opportunity to pursue my dream of playing in
college and the NFL. I am grateful for having had that
op-portunity, and this was a way for me and my family to
in-vest in the future of the Rams."
S
T ADIUM15
2010 CSU F
OO TB ALLSONNY LUBICK FIELD AT HUGHES STADIUM
H
OME OF THER
AMSSenior Zac Pauga
21st-Century Renovations
In 2003, the Bohemian Foundation contributed $15.2 million to the Colorado State athletic department. The major-ity of that gift was focused on improving the Rams’ home, Hughes Stadium.
Over a three-year period, the facility received a spectacular new west tower, containing a club seating area, luxury suites and press box. CSU also enclosed the north end zone, increasing stadium capacity to 32,500.
The foundation insisted that the venue’s playing surface receive a new name — Sonny Lubick Field, after the legendary head coach that spurred the most successful run of bowl games and conference championships in program history. The final phase of renovation focused on that surface itself. The field underwent a $1.33 million makeover prior to the 2006 season, when Colorado State installed FieldTurf, the revolutionary, rubberized surface used by several NFL and major-college venues across the country.
The Aggie ‘A’
The prominent white “A” displayed on the foothills overlooking Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium turns 87 years old in 2010, making it the second oldest ongo-ing tradition associated with Colorado State University.
The “A” evolved after World War I when a trend began among colleges to display the school insignia on a hill near campus. At a special assembly on Dec. 4, 1923, the students of State Agricultural College agreed it was time to erect such an emblem. A group of military volunteers formed the “A” Club and donated vehicles for transport-ing supplies, and female students provided food for the workers.
The college declared Dec. 12 a special holiday, and students worked from that morning until mid-afternoon to form the “A.” One small detail was missing: The school didn’t own the land on which the insignia sat. The College and Ag Board members met with landowner R.G. Maxwell and negotiated a long-term lease for the sum of $1.
The following September, students lengthened and widened the “A” to its present size of 450 feet from top to bot-tom, and 210 feet across at the bottom. For many years the freshman class carried out the annual tradition of white-washing the “A.” Today, the “A” is an official landmark. Each fall, members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and new freshmen football players join forces to give the “A” a fresh coat of white paint as part of Homecoming activities.
CAM the Ram
The official mascot of Colorado State is CAM the Ram, whose name symbolizes CSU history — an acronym for Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College, the institution’s former name.
All told, 17 live rams have served proudly on the Hughes Stadium sidelines. The mascot has its own corps of student ‘Ram Handlers,’ as well as a travel-ing trailer.
GAMEDAY IN FORT COLLINS
S
INCE1893
The cannon
Since 1920, military members from the institution have fired the deafening cannon — an intimidating exclamation point to opponents that just allowed a Rams touchdown, field goal or PAT. Fired today by CSU’s Army ROTC, the cannon is the oldest continu-ous tradition associated with CSU athletics.
Ram Walk
Before every game, CSU’s players and coaches exit their buses and proceed through Ram Town and a tunnel created by the Rams’ cheerleaders and band, which plays the fight song.
G
AMED A Y16
2010 CSU F
RICH TRADITION
A
PROUD PROGRAM WITH117
YEARS OF HISTORY"Track record, No. 1. I was here when we did it before. There's a stretch
of seven years there last decade that we won or tied for the conference five
times and played in bowl games. That's a pretty good run. It can be
bet-ter than that, yeah, and we're going to try and do it, but it's not like
we're trying to go down some uncharted course here.”
—Head Coach Steve Fairchild, at his 2008 introductory press
conference, on why he believes the Rams can return to
dominance
Every year, the Rams renew six heated rivalries that are more
than 50 years old, including their oldest series — CU-Boulder.
The winner each season takes home the Centennial Cup, won by
Sonny Lubick (above) and the Rams three out of four years from
1999-2002.
Jesse Nading (right) and the Rams in 2007 claimed the
Bronze Boot, the coveted trophy that goes to the winner of the
century-old Border War with Wyoming, the nation’s longest
continuous football series west of the Mississippi.
Colorado State has sent nearly 200
players to the National Football
League, including Oscar Reed
(right), who played in three Super
Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings
from 1969-74.
Fight song
Fight on you stalwart Ram Team, On to the goal!
Tear the (Opponent's) line asunder, As down the field we thunder. Knights of the green and gold, Fight on with all your might! Fight on you stalwart Ram Team, Fight! Fight! Fight!
After every win, CSU’s players sing the
fight song with intense pride in their
locker room. They also sing it after home
victories in front of the student section.
Conference championships
CSU owns 15 conference championships, in-cluding its first, in 1915 (below), and its most re-cent, in 2002 (left). Legendary coaches Harry Hughes (above) and Sonny Lubick each claimed six league championships.
Fum McGraw
The most recognized name in CSU annals is Thurman "Fum" McGraw (right). The university’s first consensus football All-American (1948-49), he went on to an illustrious career in the NFL, where he helped the Detroit Lions to two world championships. McGraw devoted more than 40 years to the university he loved, including a decade as director of athletics (1976-86).
His retired No. 48 jersey hangs in the locker room during every game, home and road. A passionate competitor, during his days as a Colorado A&M student and fraternity mem-ber, he sang a song directed at regional rivals. The ballad later became known as "Fum's Song."
I'll sing you a song of college days, and tell you where to go. Aggies, where your knowledge is, and Boulder to spend your dough. C.C. for your sissy boys, and Utah for your times, D.U. for your ministers,
and drunkards School of Mines.
Don't send my boy to Wyoming U. a dying mother said. Don't send him to old Brigham Young, I'd rather see him dead.
But send him to our Aggies, it's better than Cornell. Before I'd see him in Boulder, I'd see my son in hell!
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IST OR Y& T
RADITION17
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AMES18
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BOWL GAMES
S
IX BOWL BERTHS THIS DECADEColorado State put an exclamation point on a 10-2 season in 2000, Steve
Fairchild’s last year with the university before returning as head coach, by
beating Deion Branch and Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. In three of the
Mountain West Conference’s first four seasons, the Rams captured all or part
of the league championship. To date, no other MWC school has been able to
match that success over a four-year period.
The 2001 Rams made school history, becoming
the first team to earn a third consecutive Bowl
berth. CSU that year won five of its last six
games, including the New Orleans Bowl.
Colorado State’s 12 bowl games
Bowl
Date
Location
Opponent
Result
1949 Raisin Bowl
Jan. 1, 1949
Ratcliffe Stadium; Fresno, Calif.
Occidental College
L, 21-20
1990 Freedom Bowl
Dec. 29, 1990
Anaheim Stadium; Anaheim, Calif.
Oregon
W, 32-31
1994 Holiday Bowl
Dec. 30, 1994
Jack Murphy Stadium; San Diego, Calif.
Michigan
L, 24-14
1995 Holiday Bowl
Dec. 29, 1995
Jack Murphy Stadium; San Diego, Calif.
Kansas State
L, 54-21
1997 Holiday Bowl
Dec. 29, 1997
Qualcomm Stadium; San Diego, Calif.
Missouri
W, 35-24
1999 Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31, 1999
Liberty Bowl; Memphis, Tenn.
Southern Miss
L, 23-17
2000 Liberty Bowl
Dec. 29, 2000
Liberty Bowl; Memphis, Tenn.
Louisville
W, 22-17
2001 New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 18, 2001
Louisiana Superdome; New Orleans, La.
North Texas
W, 45-20
2002 Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31, 2002
Liberty Bowl; Memphis, Tenn.
TCU
L, 17-3
2003 San Francisco Bowl
Dec. 31, 2003
SBC Park; San Francisco, Calif.
Boston College
L, 35-21
2005 Poinsettia Bowl
Dec. 22, 2005
Qualcomm Stadium; San Diego, Calif.
Navy
L, 51-30
2008 New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 20, 2008
University Stadium; Albuquerque, N.M.
Fresno State
W, 40-35
CSU went to nine bowl games in
Sonny Lubick’s 15 seasons. In
addition, Earle Bruce and the
Rams won the 1990 Freedom
Bowl (above), and Steve Fairchild
(left) led the team to a New
Mex-ico Bowl triumph 60 years after
the program’s first bowl, the
Raisin Bowl (below).
The Rams beat
Mis-souri in the 1997
Holiday Bowl to finish
ranked 16th in the
T
HEC
ONFERENCE19
2010 CSU F
OO TB ALLMOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL
A
BOVE THE RESTFOUR EIGHT-WIN TEAMS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR
The Mountain West Conference had four eight-win or better teams for the
third consecutive year in 2009. TCU finished the season 12-1, followed
by BYU at 11-2, Utah at 10-3 and Air Force at 8-5.
MWC IN THE RANKINGS
For the second straight year, the Mountain West Conference had three
teams ranked in the final top 25 polls. TCU finished sixth in the
Associ-ated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, while BYU was 12th and Utah
18th in both polls.
The MWC was one of three conferences (Big Ten, SEC) with two teams
in the top 12 of the final 2009 polls. For the first time in league history,
the MWC had at least two teams ranked in both of the Coaches’ and AP
polls since the preseason rankings were released in August. It also
marked the second consecutive year the Mountain West has finished a
season with a team ranked in the top 10.
TCU ranked sixth in final AP and USA Today
polls, giving the Horned Frogs their second
straight top-10 finish and third in the last five
years.
TReceiving its highest final ranking since the
1996 season, BYU finished 12th in both the
USA Today Coaches and AP polls. The
Cougars’ No. 12 ranking is the program’s third-best final standing since
finishing No. 1 in 1984. Since 1984, BYU’s two other seasons finishing
higher than No. 12 came in 1994 (No. 10, coaches) and 1996 (No. 5,
both polls).
Utah’s No. 18 ranking in both national polls marks the second
consecu-tive season the Utes’ have finished the year in the top 25.
For the second consecutive year, the final Top 25 BCS Standings
fea-tured three MWC teams, with TCU ranked No. 4, BYU No. 14 and Utah
No. 23. The three MWC teams ranked equaled the ACC, Big 12, Big East
and SEC.
The MWC was one of four conferences (ACC, Big Ten, SEC) with at least
two teams (TCU and BYU) ranked in the top 15. In addition, the MWC
was one of five FBS conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC) to have
three teams ranked in the final BCS Standings each of the last two years
(2008-09).
TCU’s No. 4 BCS ranking earned it an automatic bid into a BCS game
and marked the highest finish by a non-automatic-qualifying team in the
final BCS Standings, surpassing Utah’s No. 6 ranking in both 2004 and
2008. The Horned Frogs’ were ranked ahead of four BCS
automatic-qual-ifying conferences champions (Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Oregon and
Ohio State).
TThe MWC is one of four conferences with at least one team ranked in
the top 10 of the BCS Standings for a minimum of 15 consecutive weeks
(Big 12, Big Ten, SEC).
The MWC is one of five conferences to have at least two teams ranked
in the BCS Standings for at least 16 consecutive weeks dating back to the
2008 season (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC).
BYU is the only program from a non-automatic qualifying BCS
confer-ence to be ranked in the final polls each of the last four seasons. BYU is
one of only seven teams to be ranked in final BCS Standings each of the
past four seasons (Texas, Florida, USC, Ohio State, Boise State and
Vir-ginia Tech).
The Cougars are one of only seven institutions to be ranked in final USA
Today Coaches’ poll each of the past four seasons (Florida, USC, Texas,
Penn State, Ohio State and Virginia Tech). BYU is one of only seven
teams to be ranked in final AP Poll each of the past four years (Florida,
USC, Texas, Ohio State, Virginia Tech and West Virginia).
2009 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The Mountain West was one of two conferences that had three teams
with double-digit wins in 2009 (TCU-12, BYU-11 and Utah-10). The Big
Ten had four teams with double-digit wins.
If one compared the win percentage of the top three teams in each of the
11 FBS conferences in 2009, the Mountain West ranked tied for second
with the Big Ten, and behind only the SEC. The top three teams in the
SEC went 36-5 for a .878 percentage, while the MWC and Big Ten
lead-ers posted a 33-6 record for a .846 win percentage.
TTCU (23-3) and Utah (23-3) are two of seven teams (Alabama 26-2,
Florida 26-2, Boise State 26-1, Texas 25-2 and Cincinnati 23-4) to
achieve 23 or more wins over the last two seasons. The Mountain West
is one of two conferences (SEC) to have two teams with 23-plus wins
during that span.
TCU (23-3), Utah (23-3) and BYU (21-5) are three of 11 teams (Alabama
26-2, Florida 26-2, Boise State 26-1, Texas 25-2, Cincinnati 23-4, Penn
State 22-4, Ohio State 21-5 and USC 21-5) to achieve 21 or more wins
over the last two seasons. The Mountain West is the only conference to
have three teams with 21-plus wins during that span.
Since 2006, BYU has posted a 43-9 record. Only four programs—Boise
State (49-4), Florida (48-7), Texas (45-8) and Ohio State (44-8)—have
topped the Cougars’ record the past four years.
MWC SENDS FIVE TEAMS TO BOWL GAMES
For the third consecutive year, the Mountain West Conference sent a
record five teams into postseason bowl games. The Mountain West has
earned 41 bowl bids since 1999 and holds a 25-16 all-time record in
those games, including a 9-3 mark against BCS
automatic-qualifying
confer-ences since 2004.
For the third time in six years, the MWC posted the best win percentage
among the 11 FBS conferences. The Mountain West claimed the
2009-10 Bowl Challenge Cup after sending five teams into postseason action
and finishing with a 4-1 (.800) mark. The league earned its first Bowl
Challenge Cup after registering a 2-1 record in bowl competition during
the 2004-05 season. The MWC also won the Cup in 2007-08 with a 4-1
mark and is the only conference to win the trophy three times since the
award’s inception in 2002-03.
Over the past six seasons (including 2009), the MWC owns the best win
percentage in bowl games among the 11 conferences with an 18-8 mark
(.692). The SEC is second with a 31-17 (.646) record, followed by the Big
East at 19-12 (.613) and the Pac-10 at 20-14 (.588). The MWC also is
9-3 against BCS automatic-qualifying conferences in bowl games since
2004.
Over the past three seasons (including 2009), the MWC owns the best
win percentage in bowl games among the 11 conferences with an 11-4
mark (.733). The SEC is second with a 19-8 (.703) record, followed by
the Big East at 11-6 (.647) and the Pac-10 at 11-7 (.611).
The MWC is one of three conferences that have posted a winning bowl
record each of the last four years (Big East and SEC).
The MWC had five teams participate in the postseason for the third
straight year. The league has earned 41 bowl bids since 1999 and holds
a 25-16 record, including a 9-3 mark against automatic-qualifying BCS
opponents since 2004.
M
EDIAE
XPOSURE20
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MEDIA EXPOSURE
M
AKINGC
OLORADOS
TATE VISIBLEColorado State will be on television 11 times over its
12-game regular-season schedule in 2010. Of those 11, 10 will
be available nationally. Since the beginning of the 2000
sea-son, when CSU finished No. 14 in the final polls, networks
have aired the Rams in 82 percent of their games, making
Colorado State one of the nation’s most televised teams over
the past decade.
New press box
Hughes Stadium’s 5-year-old press box, replaced with a portion of the athletic department’s $15.2 mil-lion gift in 2003, now can comfortably fit more than 200 members of the electronic and print media for big games. CSU’s athletic department in a given season is-sues nearly 1,000 credentials.
Daily coverage
Colorado State is a nationally prominent brand, due in large part to the success of its athletic teams and the media coverage they receive.
The Rams are covered by five newspapers in addition to the Associated Press. What's
more, eight area television stations, mostly from Denver (the nation’s No. 18 television market), and several radio outlets along the front range come to campus to interview and feature CSU's student-athletes and coaches.
And in 2006, with the launch of the mtn., the first television network dedicated to one conference, CSU and the rest of its MWC peers receive 24-7 coverage. The network is available on the DIRECTV lineup to fans across the nation.
2009 all-conference return man Dion Morton,
who signed with the Cleveland Browns
2010 CSU F
OO
TB
ALL
CSU IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
P
LAYING ONS
UNDAYSSI featured Joey Porter on the cover of its
2006 NFL preview after the All-Pro led the
Steelers to a Super Bowl XL championship.
Gartrell Johnson and Joey Porter, whose
Dol-phins were in town to meet the Broncos the next
day, shared a spontaneous chest bump following
the back’s TD
against BYU
in 2008.
Michael O'Neill/Sports Illustrated
Active roster
Arizona Cardinals 53 Clark Haggans, LB 55 Joey Porter, LB Chicago Bears 12 Caleb Hanie, QB 64 Tim Walter, C Dallas Cowboys 81 Rashaun Greer, WR Houston Texans 89 David Anderson, WR 65 Mike Brisiel, OL 85 Joel Dreessen, TE 72 Jesse Nading, DE 70 Cole Pemberton, T 71 Shelley Smith, OL Miami Dolphins 85 Kory Sperry, TE New York Giants 63 Tommie Hill, DE 33 Gartrell Johnson, RB Oakland Raiders 72 Erik Pears, OL Seattle Seahawks 62 Adrian Martinez, C Washington Redskins 68 Clint Oldenburg, OTHaggans
Porter
Oldenburg
Johnson
Hanie
Sperry
Hill
Greer
CSU
IN THENFL
21
C
O ACHINGS
T AFF22
2010 CSU F
COLORADO STATE’S COACHING STAFF
231
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, 73
BOWL GAMESBe grateful, be humble and be motivated.
Care about each other and our program.
This is a special place.
Honor our tradition and feel a mandate to
succeed doing things the right way.
— Framed plaque in CSU’s staff meeting room
CSU coaches by the numbers
231 Combined years in the coaching profession entering 2009
73 Bowl games, as a coach or player
42 Combined years coaching/playing under Sonny Lubick at CSU
41 NFL Draft picks coached in college, including the No. 1 overall selection
20 All-America seasons produced by players coached
12 Years of college head coaching experience
10 Years of combined NFL coaching experience
7 Former Colorado State student-athletes
3 Former professional football players
3 Former Rams quarterbacks
2 Former college head coaches
2 Former high school head coaches
1 Jim Thorpe award winner coached
1 Buck Buchanan award winner coached
Steve Fairchild spent seven years
coaching in the National Football
League, most recently with the
Buffalo Bills in 2007.
The 2010 staff inside the Rams’
spectacu-lar new indoor facility (left to right): Tim
Duffie (cornerbacks), Larry Lewis (safeties
& special teams coordinator), Larry Kerr
(assistant head coach, defensive
coordina-tor/linebackers), Scott Brown (defensive
line), Steve Fairchild (Head Coach), Dan
Hammerschmidt (wide receivers/passing
game coordinator), Pat Meyer (offensive
co-ordinator/offensive line), Todd Stroud
(tight ends & fullbacks/recruiting
coordi-nator), Daren Wilkinson (quarterbacks),
Anthoney Hill (running backs). .
CSU’S SPIRIT SQUADS
U
NWAVERING SUPPORT SINCE1924
2010 Cheerleaders
2010 Golden Poms
S
PIRITS
QU ADS23
2010 CSU F
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ENVER
