Colorado University Athletics
McCrearys Give Back To Buffs With Legacy Gift
March 20, 2024 | Football, Alumni C Club, Buff Club, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — It was just over 40 years ago that Joe McCreary made a choice that changed his life.
McCreary, a promising high school offensive lineman from Missouri, elected to cast his lot with a young head coach at Colorado who was in the process of putting together his first recruiting class for the Buffaloes.
That 1983 class set the foundation for Bill McCartney's tenure in Boulder and the most successful run in CU football history. McCreary and his teammates took their lumps early, but by the time they were finished, they had put in place the cornerstone of the McCartney era.
That era is still the standard by which all others are judged at CU. Before it concluded, McCartney's teams had produced a national championship, three Big Eight titles, nine bowl appearances and six straight seasons ranked in the national top 20 at season's end, along with a long list of national award winners, All-Americans and NFL Draft selections.
It all started with that 1983 class that accepted the challenge to change CU's fortunes.
McCreary, who now owns a successful transportation company in Colorado Springs, recently wrote a letter to McCartney, thanking him for the opportunity to become a Buff.
"To this day, playing football for you and for CU was the best thing I have done, next to marrying my lovely wife Traci of 31 years this April," McCreary wrote. "I owe you such a debt of gratitude for offering me that scholarship to come to Boulder. I'm not sure I have ever expressed to you personally just how much that changed my life."
Now, Joe and Traci (who has played a key role in the success of Diamond Express Transportation) are giving back. The two have committed to a legacy gift to Colorado Athletics that will be one of the largest gifts ever to CU by a student-athlete alum, including a scholarship gift that will annually support another Buff offensive lineman.
"Had it not been for the University of Colorado, I wouldn't be where I am today," McCreary said. "That's the way I look at it. It's giving back to the university that got us to where we are today and the place that has meant so much to us over the years."
Colorado Athletic Director Rick George actually crossed paths with Joe in 1987. George was named CU's football recruiting coordinator in the spring of 1987 and was with the program for McCreary's senior season.
"It's very important to have former student-athletes support the department and their university," George said. "It's critically important. The fact that Traci and Joe made that commitment is significant and I do believe other former student-athletes may see that and say, 'You know what, I want to give back to the university that gave me so much.'"
McCreary's time as a player for McCartney no doubt yielded some memorable moments. A four-year letterman and two-year starter, he was part of the team that produced one of the most dramatic turnarounds in college football history in 1985, when the Buffs went from a 1-10 finish the year prior to a 7-5 record and bowl game a year later. He also played in the 1986 win over Nebraska, ending a 19-year losing skid at the hands of the Huskers in what is still considered to be one of the most important victories in Colorado annals, and he was there for three straight winning conference seasons in the Big Eight.
But his time as a Buffalo offensive lineman ended up being just one piece of the huge influence CU has had on his life.
The experience instilled in him the discipline, work ethic and team philosophy that laid the foundation for success in the business world. It opened doors to relationships that would provide the foundation for someday owning his own business, and it gave him the opportunity to earn a degree that would be crucial in developing and nurturing that business.
And, from a personal standpoint, the experience forged a brotherhood with teammates and other former players that has become an unbreakable bond over the years.
"I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to thank Coach Mac for the quality of young men he recruited," Traci said. "I told him that because of the quality of those young men he recruited, I now have an army of people who have my back. I'm Mrs. Joe and they have my back and we have theirs. We have seen their kids grow up, we've been to weddings and we've been to funerals. It's a bond that has been developed over the years and can't be broken."
Joe and Traci were married in 1993 after a chance meeting. Both are from small towns in Missouri and while Traci had no previous connection to CU, she quickly embraced the heritage Joe had embraced. The two lived on the West Coast after their marriage, but moved back to Colorado in 2000 — and Traci has not missed a home game since.
"We sponsor a locker in the locker room and it says, 'Joe McCreary, O-line, 1983-87,'" Joe said. "Right under it, it says, 'Traci married into it.'"
While still in college, Joe worked for CU grad and booster Jerry McMorris on his company's trucking docks in Denver. After graduating with a degree in business administration, McCreary went to work full time for McMorris' NationsWay Transport Service. That connection — made possible by Joe's CU scholarship — gave him a start in the transport business that would eventually see him move back to Colorado and strike out on his own in the early 2000s.
"Thanks to my CU scholarship, I earned a degree that gave me the opportunity to go to work for Jerry right out of college in the management development program," Joe said. "There's no way I would have ever had that opportunity if it hadn't been for CU."
Now, Joe and Traci want to make sure other youngsters will have that same opportunity.
"We're both small-town kids," Joe said. "There's no way I could have gone to CU had it not been for a scholarship and there's no way we'd be where we are today if I hadn't gotten that scholarship. We want to give more young men that same chance to go to college, get a degree, build a future and have the same lifelong relationships we have enjoyed."
The two have also made sure the scholarship will go to an offensive lineman. Traci remembers the words of wisdom she received from McCartney after she and Joe were married.
"Coach Mac asked me, 'Do you know who makes the best husbands? Offensive linemen,'" Traci said with a laugh. "He said, 'They are the ones who protect people. They're solid, they're smart and they take care of their families.' They aren't the flashy players, but they protect those players. And that's why we want the scholarship to go to offensive linemen — because they protect everybody."
After the details of their gift had been finalized, Joe and Traci at first weren't keen on the idea of publicizing their donation. Like a true O-lineman, Joe preferred to stay out of the spotlight.
But, after conversations with CU Senior Associate AD Leon Jackson III, they decided to talk about their gift in hopes that it would convince more student-athlete alums to give back to the program that opened doors for them.
"There are so many of us out there who were given great opportunities because of our CU scholarships," McCreary said. "We're hoping that others will hear about this and decide to give more young athletes that same opportunity. We have been blessed in so many ways and maybe this will help other young people get that same chance."
McCreary's experience at CU and his career upon graduation is a perfect example of the foundation CU Athletics aims to provide for every student-athlete.
"Joe and Traci are as supportive as any former student-athlete we have," George said "They're at every event they can possibly attend and can tell they want to support the university in any and every way they can. That's why our goal is to use the four years student-athletes are here at CU to set them up for the next 40. It's about their experience when they're here and what you've done as an athletic department to help them further their careers long after they are done competing in their chosen sport."
Leon Jackson III, Senior Associate AD/Vice Chancellor for Advancement, said the McCreary Family's Colorado Football story brings to life the significance of the life-changing environment that exists at the University of Colorado.
"Please join our Buff Club in applauding Traci and Joe McCreary for their life-long dedication to CU and for the legacy they will leave behind with this gift," Jackson said. "Generations are being elevated and lives are being changed because of the investments from our Buff community. I sincerely appreciate the McCreary's for sharing their amazing CU story. We hope their legacy gift will inspire others to think more about how they too can partner with us in our pursuit to positively transform the lives of 350-plus student-athletes here at the University of Colorado."
Fans who want to learn more about Legacy Giving and the Buff Club can visit www.cubuffclub.com/legacygiving, email buffclub@colorado.edu, or call (303) 492-2200.