Greg Myers

Tony Phifer, Fort Collins

In every way imaginable, Greg Myers epitomized what it means to be a student athlete. During his memorable four-year career at Colorado State University, the kid who was part of a graduating class of 92 at Windsor High School became a Rams legend.

He was the first and only player in Western Athletic Conference history to be a four-time, first-team all-conference selection, and he played a significant role in launching one of the greatest runs of success in CSU football history.

“There was just something about him — the way he handled himself, the way he carried himself on and off the field, the way he was always in position, the respect that his teammates had for him,” said former CSU Coach and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame member Sonny Lubick.

“People ask me all the time, ‘Who was the best player you ever coached?’ Well, Greg certainly was one of the best, and it was a real honor to coach him.”

No coach had more respect for Myers than Air Force’s Fisher DeBerry, also a CSHOF member, who watched the speedy safety lead the Rams to four consecutive wins over his Falcons (1992-95). Following the 1995 game, when Myers made numerous big plays in the Rams’ 27-20 upset of the 21st-ranked Falcons, DeBerry told the gathered media he was “just happy to see Greg Myers finally graduate.”

Interestingly, Myers was very lightly recruited out of high school, despite being a terrific all-around athlete and stellar student. Only CSU and Air Force offered him football scholarships

(DeBerry wanted him to quarterback his vaunted wishbone offense). Kansas, however, offered him a track scholarship, believing he could be America’s next great pole vaulter after he won a pair of state titles in that event.

It didn’t take long for Myers to make believers out of his many doubters. In addition to his strong secondary play, he became a remarkable return specialist and still holds CSU and WAC records for career punt return yards (1,348). He’s also third on CSU’s all-time interception list with 14.

After helping the Rams win their first WAC title in 1994, Myers saved his best efforts for his senior year. As a safety, he earned All-America honors for the second consecutive season, and as a punt returner he averaged 15.9 yards and scored three touchdowns.

His premier play and outstanding work in the classroom (3.8 GPA in pre-med) helped him earn both the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and the Honda Scholar Athlete Award. He is the first and only CSU player to win a major national individual award.

“Greg knocked everything out of the park both athletically and academically,” Lubick said.

“He had bigger dreams, bigger fish to fry than everyone else. He wanted to become a doctor, and nothing was going to keep him from that goal.”

Following a five-year NFL career, Myers began focusing upon his medical career. He’s now an anesthesiologist at Denver Health Medical Center. He’s married (Kara) and has two daughters (Avery and Dagan).

“It’s been an amazing journey,” Myers said. “I was part of really special teams at Windsor, and I look back at college and realize it was by far the best experience I’ve had. I loved playing for Sonny, and I loved CSU.”