Woelk: Buffs Seniors Deserve A 'Thank You'

BOULDER — If you have any affinity for the Colorado football program, any connection — any interest at all — take a moment this week and say "thank you" to the 2017 seniors who will be honored at Saturday's home finale.

They deserve it.

Forget, for just a moment, the snapshot that is the 2017 season and instead take into account the big picture. Consider the four, five — and in some cases six — years these young men have invested in the University of Colorado, and bear in mind the countless hours they have dedicated to the program over those years.

Then remember this: The goal of every recruit in every football program in the nation should be a simple one. Leave the program in better shape than it was when you arrived.

Today, if you apply that standard, every senior on this year's Colorado football team will walk away with head held high. There is no argument. The foundation of Colorado football today is on far better footing than it was when all 21 of the 2017 seniors arrived in Boulder.

Remember the springs of 2012, 2013 and 2014?

Those were, quite bluntly, dark periods for Colorado football. In the three seasons prior to those spring signing classes, the Buffs won a grand total of eight games. Combined. Eight wins in three years.

Yet the players who signed in those classes, the players who chose Colorado, saw something in Boulder. They saw the chance to turn a program around, a challenge, the opportunity to build something special — and that is exactly what they accomplished.

They didn't take the easy route. They didn't choose schools where success was already built in and they could simply hitch a ride on that wagon.

They came to Boulder, endured some incredibly difficult years and stayed the course.

"They've done a tremendous amount for the university, for our program, for the guys in our program," head coach Mike MacIntyre said Tuesday. "I can't really put a value mark on it, because of what all they've done. When they came here it was a very hard time and a very, very low point in the program and they've made us extremely competitive all the time. … People were telling them, 'Don't come here.' They've brought the pride back. What they've done is made us extremely competitive and be able to keep moving on from there and be a competitive program."

Indeed, no matter what happens over the last few weeks of this season, they will leave a program that enjoyed success in their tenure — and just as importantly, they will have established a foundation and culture built to withstand adversity. The footing for Colorado football is once again firm.

Supporters of the university can also be assured there is more to this senior class than just football. The legacy they leave will be as varied and diverse as its members.

There will be the heart, courage and unabashed love for the program that Phillip Lindsay proudly wore on his sleeve throughout his career. There will be the dedication and desire of Jeromy Irwin, who chose to return for a sixth season; the selfless commitment of George Frazier, who played any and every position asked. There will be the quiet leadership and public service of Derek McCartney; the steadiness of Gerrad Kough and Jonathan Huckins; the academic accomplishments of Michael Adkins II; the grit and resolve of Ryan Moeller; the dedication of Afolabi Laguda and Leo Jackson III; the spirit of Bryce Bobo, Shay Fields and Devin Ross — and more. Much more.

That is just a taste of what these seniors brought to Colorado, and what they will leave behind as part of the foundation they helped build.

It is also worth remembering that their legacy will stretch far beyond the yard lines on Folsom Field.

This group also brought a renewed sense of leadership, citizenship and academic accomplishment to the Colorado program. They were part of a group of CU student-athletes who recorded the best stretch of classroom success in athletic department history. They helped build the program — not just the football team — and they represented their university, their community and their state with pride.

They were proud to be Buffaloes.

Above all, it is worth remembering that they all contributed. Every one of them. From those who will have the chance to play on Sundays next fall to those who seldom saw the field in Boulder, each had a role in building the program. They came to Boulder when times were difficult and they not only endured, they thrived.

Soon, they will leave the program — and they will leave Colorado football in better shape than it was when they arrived. They have set the tone for the future by leaving their stamp on the present.

Surely that is worth a simple "thank you."

Seniors who will be honored Saturday:

RB Michael Adkins II

CB Andrew Bergner

WR Bryce Bobo

OLB Timothy Coleman Jr.

WR Kevin Dement

WR Shay Fields

TE/DE George Frazier

PK Chris Graham

TB Tanner Grzesiek

ILB Trent Headley