Colorado University Athletics

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

 

The Class of 2004 is a Diverse and Talented Group of Hall of Fame Members

by Brian Dvorak

 

The fifth class that will be inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame spans seven decades of athletic achievement at the school, with the group collectively participating in six different sports, ranging from football and basketball to baseball and track.

 

This year’s Hall of Fame event took place Oct.28, at the Omni Interlocken Hotel & Resort.

 

Here’s a look at the year’s deserving class:

 

 

DON BRANBY

 

Three-sport athletes are commonplace in high school athletics, but are a rare commodity in the college ranks. Don Branby was the definition of such a multi-dimensional talent, however, during his career at the University of Colorado, earning nine letters while in Boulder.

 

This three-sport letterman shined on every front. He made his mark on the gridiron, where he was named All-American in 1952 while leading CU in the Big 7 Conference. At his best in big games, Branby recorded 20 tackles in a 21-21 tie against perennial powerhouse Oklahoma and went on to recover seven fumbles during that ?52 season. Branby also pitched in on the hardwood with his sharp shooting and Bob Cousy-like accuracy from the free throw line. To pass time in the spring, he found his way to the baseball diamond, where his versatility was in full bloom. A modern utility player, Branby played wherever he was needed, whether it was first base, third base or in the outfield. He went on to finish third on the team in RBIs during his senior campaign.

 

Although his career was unfulfilled in the profession ranks, the New York Giants drafted him with the 79th pick in the 1953 draft, his passion for sports remained. He played service football for the four years he served in the Air Force after leaving the Giants and remained involved in athletics while coaching for Montana State and in the Canadian Football League.

 

 

FRANK POTTS

 

When you think about track and field at the University of Colorado, it is impossible not to include the legendary Frank Potts. This 1927 graduate of the University of Oklahoma University left an indelible mark ? not in Norman, but in Boulder, with a coaching tenure that may never be matched at CU.

 

Potts coached the cross-country and track teams for an astounding 41 years from 1927 through ?68. After completing his career at OU as an NCAA pole vault champion, he accepted the coaching position in the summer of ?27 and amazingly never left CU. Whereas most coaches today earn their stripes as graduate assistants, Potts was the man in charge from day one. Imagine a head coach of any collegiate program taking over the reigns immediately after graduating from college.

 

During his Joe Paterno-like career with the Black and Gold, Potts coached more All-Conference and All-Americans than you could even imagine. His two most famous track-and-field athletes were Gail Cruter, who was CU’s first NCAA champion in the high jump, and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Bill Toomey. The Buffs won five NCAA titles during Potts’ run and he built a cross-country powerhouse program that still ranks among the best in the NCAA to this day.

 

A true Buff, Potts even stepped in to lead the football program during the World War II era and went a respectable 16-8-1. Former Supreme Court Justice and CU legend Byron “Whizzer” White was brought to the University through Potts’ recruiting efforts and the track at CU is named after him. Although Potts died in 1990 at the age of 87, his legend lives on with each track and cross-country athlete to this day.

 

 

BILL TOOMEY

 

Legendary athletes Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky and Tiger Woods all have at least one thing in common with 2004 inductee William “Bill” Toomey. All five have been named ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year, with Toomey garnering the award in 1968. To be in the company of those men is quite an accomplishment, but looking back on Toomey’s career, it is just one of many outstanding achievements.

 

During his career at CU in the early 1960s, Toomey was named All-American twice in the pentathlon and received the Alumni “C” Award in his senior year for excellence in the classroom, where he majored in advertising. After completing his career at CU, Toomey went on to be the U.S. decathlon champion for four years in a row and was named the National Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1966. After solidifying his dominance in the U.S., Toomey went on to win the gold medal in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City with a world-record performance in the decathlon. He remains the only CU athlete to have ever won a gold medal in the Olympic Games.

 

In addition to his outstanding career in track and field, he earned his master’s degree in education from Stanford and was elected into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. Toomey has spent a great deal of time working with underprivileged children and served as a member of the President’s Commission on Olympic Sports. Today, he owns his own company, Sports Directors Unlimited, and makes appearances as a motivational speaker.

 

 

 

JOHN WOOTEN

 

Baseball has Jackie Robinson, who blazed the trail for African-American athletes in professional sports. For the University of Colorado, John Wooten (one of the first African-American football players), had the same affect.

 

Wooten not only left an indelible mark on the university in terms of opportunities for diversity, he was a standout offensive guard from 1956 to ?58. His agility and quickness helped him earn Big 7 All-Conference honors in his junior year and All-American recognition as a senior. The Cleveland Browns selected Wooten in the fifth round of the 1959 draft and he went on to anchor a line that blocked for the incomparable Jim Brown.

 

After his playing career in Cleveland was finished, Wooten went on to work for the NFL league office, as well as the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. Today, he works as a scout for the Baltimore Ravens and lives in Dallas.

 

 

SHELLEY SHEETZ

 

When Shelley Sheetz came to the University of Colorado to play basketball for head coach Ceal Barry, she had ambitious plans for a wide-eyed freshman. “My goal when I came to Colorado was to leave my mark and take the women’s basketball program to the next level,” she remembered. Her Lady Buffs went on to post an eye-popping 106-21 record during her tenure, including a 49-7 conference mark.

 

As pure and talentedof  a point guard as the now Big XII Conference has ever seen, Sheetz dominated with her court vision, skills and leadership. She was CU’s first, and only, Kodak All-American in women’s basketball. And the individual honors did not stop there. She was chosen as an All-American by the AP, Basketball Times and USWBA in her senior year, and was one of the five finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year Award. Sheetz finished her career as CU’s second all-time leading scorer, and in the top three in assists, free-throws, steals and three pointers. She was a first-team All-Big 8 performer three times and earned Big 8 Player of the Year accolades in the 1994-95 season.

 

After departing Boulder, she played professionally in the ABL until injuries forced her to retire. She now works as an assistant coach for the University of San Diego. Her greatest memories include a win during her sophomore year against Stanford at the NCAA Regionals in Mizzoula, Mont., and when Ceal Barry won the prestigious Carol Eckman Award.

 

“That win against Stanford put us on the map and was validation for how hard we all worked,” the former point guard said.

 

Shelley Sheetz definitely made her mark, helping to catapult CU’s women’s program to national prominence.

 

 

EDDIE CROWDER

 

Before Bill McCartney and Gary Barnett, there was one man that helped put CU football on the map, Eddie Crowder. A stellar quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, Crowder earned All-American honors as his Sooners routinely beat the Buffs. When he took the reigns as CU’s head coach in 1963, the football program was near rock bottom following NCAA penalties that all but ruined the program in 1962.

 

“When I arrived as coach in 1963, it was a great opportunity and challenge for us to restore a program that was once successful and to take it to the next level.” he said.

 

Crowder quickly established an identity in Boulder of a tough, disciplined, hard-hitting team that would battle opponents every Saturday afternoon. In the process, he brought the Buffs back to national prominence. In his 11-year run, Crowder compiled a very respectable 63-49-2 record, which included a tremendous season in 1971 when his Buffs finished the season ranked third, only behind Nebraska and Oklahoma.

 

He was named the school’s second athletic director in 1965, and was responsible for bringing Bill McCartney and Ceal Barry to Boulder during his 20-year stint. Crowder credits “the blessings of the leadership that I was given in my upbringing as a coach from Paul Young (his high school coach) and Bud Wilkerson (his college coach at OU) for helping me during my time at CU.”

 

He still lives in Boulder and attends every Buffs home game during the year. For all of his success at CU, Crowder wants to be remembered for making a progressive contribution to the university. Mission accomplished, coach.

 

 

CLIFF MEELEY

 

For a school that is known for its football, there is one name that is synonymous with its men’s basketball program. That name is Cliff Meeley.

 

He played for three years and left his mark as arguably the greatest player in CU basketball history. From 1968 through ’71, he was one of the most dangerous scorers in college basketball. Meeley finished his career as CU’s all-time scoring leader with 1,940 points. Thirty-three years later, he still holds a prominent place on the record books as the second leading scorer and rebounder of all-time. He also remains at or near the top in a dozen statistical categories. His career rebounding average of 12.1 per game illustrates how complete of a player Meeley was during his career.

 

The Buffs won 49 games during Meeley’s three-year career, including a Big 8 title in 1968 when they went from worst to first in the conference. He went on the play six years in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, and is one of two men in CU basketball history to have their jersey retired.

 

“Looking back on my career, I want people to remember that I scored and rebounded,” he said. “My game was not limited, I played good defense and worked hard during my three years to have a solid all-around game.”

 

Today, Meeley works with kids as a counsel