WHEATLAND — A respectable size crowd of Cowboy Joe Club supporters enjoyed food, beer and wine, as well as the company of University of Wyoming head football coach Craig Bohl, at the athletic reception April 24 at Bob Ruwart Motors. Among other items of interest, Bohl shared that Tyler Vander Waal is the Cowboys’ new quarterback for this year.
The Cowboy Joe Club is the largest booster club in Mountain West history, according to the club’s website, https://cowboyjoeclub.com. Its mission is to support UW student-athletes with funds raised by alumni and fans.
Bob Ruwart said he’s been hosting the Cowboy Joe Club reception at his dealership about five or six years.
“You are a strong Cowboy Joe people here in Platte County,” Ruwart told those gathered.
Bohl said back in the mid-1980s, UW was a place coaches considered a “launching pad” for their careers. They often coached there a couple years then moved on. He said then UW went through a period of time when the administrative staff was no more committed than the coaches launching their careers.
“One thing that never wavered, though, is the people sitting in these chairs,” Bohl said to the crowd. “You’ve always been committed.”
Bohl said the coaching staff is deeply committed to the team. He said the team needs the right people involved — not just coaches, but administrative staff and student-athletes.
Bohl said it’s important to have team members from Wyoming who understand Cowboys football. One time, he said he was looking at the roster and saw more Cowboys from Germany on the team than from Wyoming. He said there were hardly any scholarship players from Wyoming, and barely any walk-on players. He said he and the coaching staff worked to change the direction of the program.
Bohl said the Wheatlanders on this year’s team — Justis Borton and Josh Calvert — are doing everything they can to help the Cowboys win. Bohl said Calvert came in as a linebacker but is a nose guard now.

“I heard a long time ago people tell me you can’t win with Wyoming guys,” Bohl said, “and I’m saying baloney, you can’t win without them.”
Bohl said Logan Wilson, a junior from Casper, might be good enough to play in the NFL.
Bohl said athletes’ eating habits are as important as their training. He said UW athletics has hired a dietitian to make sure athletes in all UW sports programs are getting lean protein, “not chicken-fried steak.” He said UW has a whole new weight room also.
Bohl predicted the improvements implemented in the sports program now will make a difference to the program 20-30 years from now.
“Our goal, by God, is to go back to the Fiesta Bowl and win,” Bohl said.
Bohl said a Cheyenne newspaper editor criticized UW for not being able to recruit “hot shot guys” and UW should drop down to Division 2. He said he has great players now, but when he first came to the UW program, he had players who were more interested in the style of gloves and shoes they wore than winning.
“I drank a hell of a lot of whiskey back then,” Bohl said.
Bohl said now that the team includes players like Wheatlanders Borton and Calvert, the future looks bright.
Bohl said Vander Waal is the new quarterback for the Cowboys. He said this year’s team will be really good on defense.
“Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships, OK?” Bohl said.
Bohl said Cowboy Carl Granderson, a 6-foot-6, 263-pound senior, promised his mother he would graduate from university. He said Granderson comes from a poor Sacramento, California, neighborhood. He said Granderson, “a damn good player,” is doing a lot for UW.
“But the University of Wyoming and this state’s doing a lot more for him,” Bohl said. “And someday he’s going to play in the NFL, he’ll graduate … he wears a pair of boots and a cowboy hat now.”
Bohl said the Cowboys will open the season on the road playing New Mexico State University. He said the Cowboys’ first home game will be with Washington State.
Bohl said the team needs to play Utah.
“If you want to run with the big dogs, you gotta be able to be in the tall grass,” Bohl said. “You gotta have resources. But I believe the people of this state want us to play the best competition and give our players a chance to win.”
The Cowboys’ 2018 roster is posted on gowyo.com.