They hailed from California, Massachusetts, Ohio and all points in between. But it was their unity on a football Friday in Laramie, Wyo., 50 years ago that changed their lives — and Cowboys football — forever.
On Oct. 17, 1969, a group of 14 African-American football players at the University of Wyoming met with their football coach, Lloyd Eaton. Within the hour, all 14 had been kicked off the team.
Inspired by protests at San Jose State and UTEP against the BYU Cougars and the Mormon Church’s policy banning African-Americans from joining its priesthood, 14 Cowboys players — John Griffin, Earl Lee, Ron Hill, Willie Hysaw, Don Meadows, Ivie Moore, Tony Gibson, Jerome Berry, Joe Williams, Mel Hamilton, Jim Isaac, Tony McGee, Ted Williams and Lionel Grimes — donned black armbands and walked to Eaton’s office inside Wyoming’s Memorial Fieldhouse.
The players say their intent was to ask Eaton if he would allow them to wear the armbands in their upcoming game against BYU in protest. Eaton responded by leading them onto the seating area in the fieldhouse, then announced that he was dismissing them — five of whom were starters — from the squad. Players would later say the enraged coach used racist overtones as he addressed them.
That night, Wyoming players and coaches met separately with Wyoming Gov. Stanley Hathaway and with the board of trustees. The latter parties eventually sided with Eaton, electing to back his decision early Saturday morning.
A federal lawsuit by the players against the state and university was initially thrown out at trial by district judge Ewing T. Kerr. The 10th District Court of Appeals reversed the decision in May 1971, and after a trial, Kerr ruled for the state in October of that year.
The Cowboys beat BYU in Laramie on Oct. 18, 1969, 40-7, but would drop four of their final five games to finish 6-4, and Wyoming’s football fortunes soon after nose-dived. After Wyoming went 1-9 in 1970, Eaton was reassigned within the department and left the university in 1972.