Bill "Kayo" Lam: CU's First Superstar From Wyoming

BOULDER – When fans think back to Colorado football in the 1930s, Byron "Whizzer" White is often the first name that comes to mind. But before White became a national icon, another Buff was already rewriting the record books. That player was Bill "Kayo" Lam of Glenrock, Wyoming — one of CU's first true football superstars and still one of the most productive players in program history.

Leading the Nation from the Backfield

Lam played for Colorado from 1933–35, and during that time he became the first Buff to lead the nation in a major statistical category in back-to-back seasons — and remains the only one to do so. As a junior in 1934, he rushed for 906 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the country in rushing. He followed that up with a remarkable senior year in 1935, posting 1,043 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to once again top the nation, one of the first 1,000-yard seasons in college football history. In that 1935 season, he also led the nation in all-purpose yardage with an astounding 2,225 yards, including 1,043 rushing, 364 passing, 530 on punt returns, and 288 on kickoff returns.

By the end of his CU career, Lam had 2,140 rushing yards — a school record that stood for 34 years — and was the first Buff to surpass 3,000 all-purpose yards. He left Boulder as the program's all-time leader in rushing, scrimmage yards, all-purpose yards, and scoring. To this day, he still ranks in CU's top 20 in rushing.

Record-Setting Performances

Lam's name can still be found throughout the CU record book. Against Colorado Mines in 1935, he carried just seven times for 265 yards and four touchdowns, setting a still-standing school record of 32.3 yards per rush. A year earlier, he gashed Colorado State for 232 yards on only 16 attempts — a mark that still stands as CU's single-game rushing record against the Rams.

Known for his versatility, Lam wasn't just a ball carrier. He led the Buffs in rushing in 1934 and 1935, when he also led the team in passing, punting, and punt returns. He twice earned honorable mention All-America honors, was a two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection, and in January 1936 became the first Buff to appear in a postseason all-star game when he suited up in the East-West Shrine Game.

Beyond the Field

Lam's talents extended far beyond football. He was a seven-time letterman at CU, also competing in track and wrestling, and he was even a local boxing champion. Away from athletics, he was known as "The Crooning Quarterback" — a nod to his love of music, his ability to play six instruments, and the orchestra he led on campus.

After graduation, Lam served as a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II before returning to CU, where he worked for 36 years, most of them as athletic business manager. His lifelong impact on Colorado Athletics was recognized with induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, CU's All-Century Team in 1989, and the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

Bill "Kayo" Lam passed away in 1993 at the age of 81, but his legacy lives on. More than 80 years after his playing days, he remains one of the greatest Buffs of all time — a Wyoming product who helped put Colorado football on the national map.

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