It was early in Eaglecrest’s Class 5A opening-round playoff game last month, its first postseason appearance in three seasons. Chatfield attempted a rush that was crushed by the Raptors’ “X” factor.
Senior safety Xavier Lewis blew up the play, complete with the o-o-h! reaction that only the top tacklers and hitters earn, and Eaglecrest went on to 29-7 road victory, one of its significant steps in reviving a program that needed it.
“He will knock the crap out of you,” Raptors coach Mike Schmitt said. “It set the tone. I’ve seen it so many times.”
But what Schmitt and others didn’t see was Lewis asking for attention. No, The Denver Post’s 62nd Gold Helmet winner, which honors the top senior player, scholar and citizen in Colorado’s longest-running and most prestigious award for schoolboy football, simply went into the huddle, called the next play and lined up again on defense.
“It’s not about being boisterous,” the 17-year-old Colorado native said. “I don’t always have to be in the spotlight, it’s not what it’s about for me.”
But what about so many other intent on making it on SportsCenter or local shows?
“Really, they’re their own people, they do their own thing,” Lewis said. “I just get ready for the next play. You don’t have to jump up and down or celebrate. It changed the momentum, we were happy, it was a good hit, but no need to go above and beyond that. I didn’t win a state championship. I just had a hit.”
Actually, he had lots of them. It was if the 6-foot, 185-pounder was on patrol, earning all-Centennial League (it was known as the Creek League when he was a sophomore and junior) honors from 2010-12, the state’s best overall group for more than three decades. Lewis’ speed and quickness, and work in the weight room, made him must-see when opposing offenses lined up — and they didn’t need a GPS system to find him.
“Oh, yeah,” Grandview coach John Schultz responded when asked about Lewis’ all-state considerations.
Said Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan: “That kid can play.”
It now seems funny, but Lewis was a defensive end as a youth and into his freshman year as a Raptor, when he wore No. 80. The change of positions and numbers (he was No. 14) was a no-brainer.
“When I met the kid, right away I knew we could focus our entire program around a guy like that,” Schmitt said.
Lewis appreciated it, but refused to under-estimate the Raptors as whole — even with their stunning, first-round upset of Fort Collins in 2009, they finished 5-6. And they entered 2012 coming off 3-7 and 2-8 seasons. But by making the quarterfinals, Eaglecrest drew attention as did Lewis, who’s headed to Wyoming.
“I think I did well, but the scheme helped me out and, of course, the players around me,” he said. “I don’t want a lot of credit for myself. It was about getting the team to playoffs after we struggled the past few years. It was about improvement to the team.”
Academically, Lewis has made even more hits. He has a 4.608 GPA, is ranked fifth in a class of 522 and a serious candidate for valedictorian. He’s never had a B in a class, although he said he “was coming close” in Differential Equations/Calculus III. And there have been few Intro-to-Anything courses among his load. Lewis has handled the likes of advanced-placement offerings in literature, psychology, language, calculus, government and human geography, as well as honors levels in physics, chemistry and French 4.
“He would compare favorably with 22- and 23-year-olds,” longtime Eaglecrest teacher Jason Gould said. “He’s a terrific student who he does everything you ask him to do. It doesn’t matter if he had a football game; he got his homework done, he’s ready to learn. Some kids come in, they’re dog tired, you see it and they lay their head down.
“And he wants to see everybody else learn. The other day in class, he was coaching up kids, telling them that you have to have it right here, pointing at his chest. I thought he was talking about football. He wasn’t.”
Lewis, who admits he doesn’t have time for video games or mindlessly staring at his cell phone, credits his father, Quentin, also a Raptors assistant coach, for giving him and his siblings “good study habits as we grew up. He would pick us up from school and tell us right away not to do anything else until our homework’s done. And I like academics. I like learning.”
He plans on majoring in engineering and Gould said it’s only a matter of time before Lewis makes an impact.
“I would never worry about him getting sidetracked,” Gould said. “He would be the last kid I would expect to not take of business.”
Two years ago, Eaglecrest principal Gwen Hansen-Vigil was walking through a crowded hallway and was convinced she saw someone special.
“There was this kid who was talking and everyone was paying attention to him,” she said. “I found out he was a sophomore and just had to get to know him. He just had a presence about him.”
It was real. Lewis mentors freshman. He’s active in his church and with elementary-school kids. He tutors other Raptors. And he’s always at the front when Schmitt has his team performing any kind of community service.
Lewis has created hits and received them. For him, it’s a two-way street.
“I believe I have something to give back,” he said. “I’ve been given the knowledge.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714, ndevlin@denverpost.com or .
An open letter from Xavier Lewis
“What are you selling?”
This is a rhetorical quote from the head football coach at the University of Alabama, Nick Saban, which thematically paved the direction of my high school team. Focusing on personal accomplishments will never allow for individuals to reach their true peak. Each generation is dependent on the previous, which denotes the fact that each person can hold a significant purpose if they choose to. Thomas Edison didn’t sell light bulbs, but instead sold an attitude of persistence and creativeness that allows free thinkers to follow in his footsteps. Martin Luther King sold a dream of equality, which has changed the course of modern history. I have been blessed with tremendous opportunities and accolades, but still long to sell my vision with others so they can experience what I have.
My father is an esteemed salesman who can hold an overwhelming amount of influence over anybody with use of his intellectual conversation. My father and my mother sold me the ability to dream big.
My love for sports came hand-in-hand with my competitive nature. When I began playing football at age 6, I hadn’t developed the passion that I have for it today. Even so, I couldn’t get over the feeling of being a member of a team sport and how camaraderie on the field and at practice created closer friendships and lifelong connections. As I aged from my Pop Warner days, my ability increased, as well as my love for football. I soon made it a dream to reach the NFL, as many other children do. This dream is ambiguously approached by athletes across the nation every year, but talent gets lost in bad decisions, distractions and discouragement. My parents brought me up with the idea that I can achieve anything as long as I work at it and remain consistent in my values.
Growing up with my father being a high school football coach, my sister and I would sit at his practices after he picked us up from school. Before we were allowed to do anything else, we had to complete our homework. I was taught the importance of good study habits and how getting work done early is in my best interest. My parents stressed to me that academics should be my first priority and that if I didn’t receive good grades, I wouldn’t be able to participate in sports. This becomes a rule in high school and also at the collegiate level, but even as a child, academic probation was always a possibility.
Athletics have always been important to me. I never wanted to be taken out of a sport because of laziness in the classroom, but my true motivation for academic success came at the hands of my competitive nature. As the youngest child (at the time), I would see my sister, whom is older by two years, go through the second half of elementary school receiving straight A’s while I only received “checks” and “check-pluses.” Something intrigued me about these letter grades and as soon as I entered third grade, I refused to let my sister outdo me. I received my first report card with letter grades, and it was all A’s – just as my sister’s had been two years before. From there on, it was a race for me to get better grades than my sister, although she seemed to care about this competition much less. She continued to get straight A’s and so did I. Eventually, I no longer desired to achieve more than my sister and receiving straight A’s became almost automatic.
Once high school began, I had a dream of playing Division I-A football. I knew that my academic success would greatly affect my chances of getting there. According to the NCAA website, there is only a 6.4 percent chance that a high school athlete will play college football. The percentage is even lower when looking at Division I-A football. School and sports have worked synonymously in my success in high school. I enjoy success in both now and pride myself in accomplishing the impossible. I have taught myself to be self-motivated and expect nothing but the best from myself and my works.
Academics are something not to be taken for granted and knowledge is power. Earning a degree is a germane factor in job searching, and I understand that the work I do now will pay off when I am choosing my career.
Through high school, teammates and peers would ask me how I was able to manage my time with football and still manage to be in the running for valedictorian. I sold my story to them and shared my values and beliefs. I told them that it’s important to invest your time rather than spend it. I live by many quotes, but one has particular significance in my life: “It’s not the hours that you put in; it’s what you put into the hours.” I have specific goals and they don’t allow for time to be wasted on things that will not benefit me.
After school, I use my time to work out and improve my game on the field when I am in the offseason. This can include multiple hours in the weight room and outside running the hills. Obtaining the athletic goals that I want require me to put in extra work, even when I am tired. When I attended a Stanford football camp, Cardinal coach David Shaw told me that if I am not getting better that day, I am getting worse. Time is the only real resource that can never be given back and each moment I spend is valuable.
When I am away from workouts I work on homework. I take the same relentlessness that I use on the field in order to tackle my school work. With my AP classes and rigorous schedule, I find ways to manage my time wisely to get my homework done. Even if assignments are not due, I may stay up into the early hours of the next day working on them. It upsets me more than anyone else when I am unprepared or miss dates on assignments. I look forward to achieving at my highest and I feel that if somebody else had received an A in a class, then I am just as capable.
My personal goals have allowed me to receive awards that I am truly grateful for. Being put into a position of leadership at my school and on my football team has given me the opportunity to sell my character to those who take notice. I want to portray myself as humbled and determined so people can know what it takes to get to where I am at.
Personal achievements for me are always appreciated, but at the same time, I am looking for something greater to achieve. As a sophomore and junior, I was an all-league football player on a team that was 2-8 each year. Although I was proud of these achievements, it meant much more help turn around a program that has struggled to find success. My senior year, we improved to 7-5 and played in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. It was the furthest the team had been since 1993 and I couldn’t have been more proud of my teammates for buying into the ideas that our head coach and team leaders were selling. Being part of a change and seeing people buy into what I am selling holds a special place in me that no personal award can reach.
Changing the culture of the world one community at a time is my ultimate goal. I speak to children at elementary schools to stress how important school work is in order to achieve their dreams. I tutor kids in math so they can understand that athletes like me can be smart too. As a kid I wanted to go the NFL to play in front of thousands of fans doing what I love. I have since came to the realization that it is bigger than football. If I get to the NFL, I will be a role model to kids and I will be in a position to sell my values. I can sell the idea that you don’t have to talk a certain way, wear certain clothes or listen to a particular kind of music to live your dreams.
Living a dream comes from the heart and requires ambition and self-motivation. I am selling my best efforts and passion because that is what I believe will lead to change in my life and hopefully the lives of others. All great salesmen must believe in their product, and I sell a story that I hope can inspire people to follow. Because when people doubted or didn’t believe in me and my values, I always did.
Sincerely,
Xavier Lewis
<!–
| Gold Helmet Winners | |||||
| Year | Athlete | School | Position | College | Resides today |
| 2012 | Xavier Lewis | Eaglecrest | S | Wyoming | Centennial |
| Now: High-school student. | |||||
 |
|||||
| 2011 | Sean Rubalcaba | Grand Junction | QB | Northern Colorado | Greeley |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2010 | Ian Imamura | Pueblo West | TE-LB | Air Force | Colorado Springs |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2009 | Matt Brown | Limon | QB-LB | Colorado Mines | Golden |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2008 | Bryan Peters | Rocky Mountain | QB | Nebraska | Lincoln |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2007 | Tyler Jackson | Douglas County | DB | Boise State | Boise, Idaho |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2006 | Clay Garcia | Alamosa | QB | Colorado Mines | Houston |
| Now: Mechanical engineer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2005 | Tim McGraw | Douglas County | OL | Northern Colorado | Denver |
| Now: Auditor for accounting firm. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2004 | Tyler Sale | Arapahoe | OL-DL | Colorado | Denver |
| Now: Environmental engineer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2003 | Jeff Byers | Loveland | OL-DL | Southern California | Charlotte |
| Now: Carolina Panthers guard. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2002 | Jonathan Lucas | Arvada West | LB | Cornell | Charlestown, Mass. |
| Now: Comptroller for Boston city government. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2001 | Jake Stone | Limon | WR | Harvard | New York City |
| Now: Portfolio manager. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2000 | Nick Brown | Woodland Park | WR-DB | Princeton | Breckenridge |
| Now: President, High County Healing and TZ Financial. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1999 | Marcus Houston | Thomas Jefferson | RB | CU/CSU | Denver |
| Now: Lawyer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1998 | Ryan Haywood | Thomas Jefferson | Line | Texas/UNC | Denver |
| Now: Marketing, Done Right. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1997 | Jason Lucas | Arvada West | SS | Brown | Denver |
| Now: President of Amstar Global Partners. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1996 | Wayne Southam | Overland | Line | Air Force | Herriman, Utah |
| Now: Project Manager, CECO concrete. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1995 | Matt Rillos | Golden | WR | Air Force | Golden |
| Now: Investment adviser. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1994 | Shane Cook | Bear Creek | OL | Colorado | Iowa City |
| Now: Medical residency at University of Iowa. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1993 | Ryan Clement | Mullen | QB | Miami | Denver |
| Now: Partner, Clement Group Public Affairs LLC. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1992 | Jeff Singleton | Broomfield | Line | Colorado | Westminster |
| Now: Engineer, Marvell Semiconductor. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1991 | Greg Jones | J.F. Kennedy | DE | Colorado | Castle Rock |
| Now: Mortgage broker, Vertex. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1990 | Justin Armour | Manitou Springs | Back | Stanford | Manitou Springs |
| Now: Restaurant owner. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1989 | Kent Kahl | Fort Morgan | Back | Iowa | Fort Morgan |
| Now: Scout for San Francisco 49ers. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1988 | Doug Musgrave | Grand Junction | Back | Oregon | Vancouver, Wash. |
| Now: Orthopedic surgeon. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1987 | Jerry Dunn | Mullen | Back | Colorado State | Boise, Idaho |
| Now: Principal, CEO of A10 Capital. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1986 | Lance French | Green Mountain | Back | Yale/CU | Broomfield |
| Now: Real estate agent. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1985 | Bill Musgrave | Grand Junction | Back | Oregon | Minneapolis |
| Now: Offensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1984 | Maurice Frilot | Montbello | Guard | Harvard | Denver |
| Now: Wells Fargo financial adviser. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1983 | David Gaines | Wasson | Center | Air Force | Versailles, Ken. |
| Now: Retired lieutenant colonel; consultant, farmer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1982 | Eric McCarty | Boulder | Back | Colorado | Boulder |
| Now: UCD chief of sports medicine. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1981 | Steve Markstrom | Rocky Mountain | Tackle | Colorado | Denver |
| Now: Hydrologist for USGS. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1980 | Griff Wirth | Wheat Ridge | Back | Colorado | Arvada |
| Now: Wheat Ridge HS principal. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1979 | Alvin Rubalcaba | Grand Junction | Back | Colorado | Las Vegas |
| Now: Civil engineer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1978 | Ellis Wood | Centaurus | Back | Colorado | Sacramento |
| Now: Regional director, Dish Network. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1977 | Tony Federico | Northglenn | Back | Colorado | Brighton |
| Now: Self-defense and strength training. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1976 | Greg Jaeger | Ranum | Back | Dartmouth | Vienna, Wash. |
| Now: Attorney. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1975 | Mike Edwards | J.F. Kennedy | End | Colorado State | Centennial |
| Now: Independent oil & gas; attorney. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1974 | Pete Cyphers | Grand Junction | Back | CSU/CU | Grand Junction |
| Now: Holy Family School AD, Grand Junction | |||||
|
|||||
| 1973 | Randy Strandberg | Arvada West | End | Colorado State | Littleton |
| Now: Certified public accountant. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1972 | Tom Tesone | Cherry Creek | Back | Colorado | Englewood |
| Now: Owns Complete Closets; Rock Canyon assistant coach. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1971 | Dave Logan | Wheat Ridge | End | Colorado | Littleton |
| Now: Cherry Creek head coach; broadcaster. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1970 | Doug Quimby | Grand Junction | Back | Harvard | Colorado Springs |
| Now: CEO La Plata Investments. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1969 | Joe Duenas | La Junta | Back | Colorado | Lake Charles, La. |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1968 | Mike Boryla | Regis | Back | Stanford | Castle Rock |
| Now: Mortgage banker. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1967 | Paul Arendt | Thomas Jefferson | Back | Colorado | Littleton |
| Now: Dentist. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1966 | Fred Steinmark | Wheat Ridge | Back | Texas | Deceased |
|
|||||
| 1965 | Craig Bozich | Aurora Central | Back | BYU | Arvada |
| Now: Retired airline pilot. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1964 | Bobby Anderson | Boulder | Back | Colorado | La Quinta, Calif. |
| Now: Liberty tax service. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1963 | Steve Elliott | Lakewood | Tackle | Colorado | Arvada |
| Now: Certified public accountant. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1962 | Jim Blaschke | East | Back | Stanford | Gilroy, Calif. |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1961 | Tom Elliott | Lakewood | Back | Stanford | Denver |
| Now: Attorney. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1960 | Gordon Rowley | Arvada | End | Colorado | France |
| Now: Consultant. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1959 | Ted Somerville | Greeley | Back | Colorado | Colorado Springs |
| Now: Owns nutrition company. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1958 | Kent Hutcheson | South | Back | Wheaton | Aurora |
| Now: Founder, Colorado UpLift. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1957 | Joe Romig | Lakewood | Back | Colorado | Boulder |
| Now: Physicist, engineer, CU professor. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1956 | Kay McFarland | Englewood | End | Colorado State | Littleton |
| Now: President, Alpha Dental Plan. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1955 | Bob Erickson | East | G-LB | Northwestern | Maine |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1954 | Charles Inagaki | North | Guard | Denver | Lakewood |
| Now: Owner, real estate firm. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1953 | Eloy Mares | Annunciation | Back | Denver | Deceased |
|
|||||
| 1952 | Ray Carlsen | East | Back | Yale | Bellevue, Wash. |
| Now: Dermatopathologist | |||||
|
|||||
| 1951 | Bill Faddis | Regis | Back | Southern California | Aurora |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
–>
| Gold Helmet Winners | |||||
| Year | Athlete | School | Position | College | Resides today |
| 2012 | Xavier Lewis | Eaglecrest | S | Wyoming | Centennial |
| Now: High-school student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2011 | Sean Rubalcaba | Grand Junction | QB | Northern Colorado | Greeley |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2010 | Ian Imamura | Pueblo West | TE-LB | Air Force | Colorado Springs |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2009 | Matt Brown | Limon | QB-LB | Colorado Mines | Golden |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2008 | Bryan Peters | Rocky Mountain | QB | Nebraska | Lincoln |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2007 | Tyler Jackson | Douglas County | DB | Boise State | Boise, Idaho |
| Now: College student. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2006 | Clay Garcia | Alamosa | QB | Colorado Mines | Houston |
| Now: Mechanical engineer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2005 | Tim McGraw | Douglas County | OL | Northern Colorado | Denver |
| Now: Auditor for accounting firm. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2004 | Tyler Sale | Arapahoe | OL-DL | Colorado | Denver |
| Now: Environmental engineer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2003 | Jeff Byers | Loveland | OL-DL | Southern California | Charlotte |
| Now: Carolina Panthers guard. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2002 | Jonathan Lucas | Arvada West | LB | Cornell | Charlestown, Mass. |
| Now: Comptroller for Boston city government. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2001 | Jake Stone | Limon | WR | Harvard | New York City |
| Now: Portfolio manager. | |||||
|
|||||
| 2000 | Nick Brown | Woodland Park | WR-DB | Princeton | Breckenridge |
| Now: President, High County Healing and TZ Financial. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1999 | Marcus Houston | Thomas Jefferson | RB | CU/CSU | Denver |
| Now: Lawyer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1998 | Ryan Haywood | Thomas Jefferson | Line | Texas/UNC | Denver |
| Now: Marketing, Done Right. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1997 | Jason Lucas | Arvada West | SS | Brown | Denver |
| Now: President of Amstar Global Partners. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1996 | Wayne Southam | Overland | Line | Air Force | Herriman, Utah |
| Now: Project Manager, CECO concrete. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1995 | Matt Rillos | Golden | WR | Air Force | Golden |
| Now: Investment adviser. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1994 | Shane Cook | Bear Creek | OL | Colorado | Iowa City |
| Now: Medical residency at University of Iowa. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1993 | Ryan Clement | Mullen | QB | Miami | Denver |
| Now: Partner, Clement Group Public Affairs LLC. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1992 | Jeff Singleton | Broomfield | Line | Colorado | Westminster |
| Now: Engineer, Marvell Semiconductor. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1991 | Greg Jones | J.F. Kennedy | DE | Colorado | Castle Rock |
| Now: Mortgage broker, Vertex. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1990 | Justin Armour | Manitou Springs | Back | Stanford | Manitou Springs |
| Now: Restaurant owner. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1989 | Kent Kahl | Fort Morgan | Back | Iowa | Fort Morgan |
| Now: Scout for San Francisco 49ers. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1988 | Doug Musgrave | Grand Junction | Back | Oregon | Vancouver, Wash. |
| Now: Orthopedic surgeon. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1987 | Jerry Dunn | Mullen | Back | Colorado State | Boise, Idaho |
| Now: Principal, CEO of A10 Capital. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1986 | Lance French | Green Mountain | Back | Yale/CU | Broomfield |
| Now: Real estate agent. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1985 | Bill Musgrave | Grand Junction | Back | Oregon | Minneapolis |
| Now: Offensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1984 | Maurice Frilot | Montbello | Guard | Harvard | Denver |
| Now: Wells Fargo financial adviser. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1983 | David Gaines | Wasson | Center | Air Force | Versailles, Ken. |
| Now: Retired lieutenant colonel; consultant, farmer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1982 | Eric McCarty | Boulder | Back | Colorado | Boulder |
| Now: UCD chief of sports medicine. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1981 | Steve Markstrom | Rocky Mountain | Tackle | Colorado | Denver |
| Now: Hydrologist for USGS. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1980 | Griff Wirth | Wheat Ridge | Back | Colorado | Arvada |
| Now: Wheat Ridge HS principal. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1979 | Alvin Rubalcaba | Grand Junction | Back | Colorado | Las Vegas |
| Now: Civil engineer. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1978 | Ellis Wood | Centaurus | Back | Colorado | Sacramento |
| Now: Regional director, Dish Network. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1977 | Tony Federico | Northglenn | Back | Colorado | Brighton |
| Now: Self-defense and strength training. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1976 | Greg Jaeger | Ranum | Back | Dartmouth | Vienna, Wash. |
| Now: Attorney. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1975 | Mike Edwards | J.F. Kennedy | End | Colorado State | Centennial |
| Now: Independent oil & gas; attorney. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1974 | Pete Cyphers | Grand Junction | Back | CSU/CU | Grand Junction |
| Now: Holy Family School AD, Grand Junction | |||||
|
|||||
| 1973 | Randy Strandberg | Arvada West | End | Colorado State | Littleton |
| Now: Certified public accountant. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1972 | Tom Tesone | Cherry Creek | Back | Colorado | Englewood |
| Now: Owns Complete Closets; Rock Canyon assistant coach. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1971 | Dave Logan | Wheat Ridge | End | Colorado | Littleton |
| Now: Cherry Creek head coach; broadcaster. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1970 | Doug Quimby | Grand Junction | Back | Harvard | Colorado Springs |
| Now: CEO La Plata Investments. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1969 | Joe Duenas | La Junta | Back | Colorado | Lake Charles, La. |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1968 | Mike Boryla | Regis | Back | Stanford | Castle Rock |
| Now: Mortgage banker. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1967 | Paul Arendt | Thomas Jefferson | Back | Colorado | Littleton |
| Now: Dentist. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1966 | Fred Steinmark | Wheat Ridge | Back | Texas | Deceased |
|
|||||
| 1965 | Craig Bozich | Aurora Central | Back | BYU | Arvada |
| Now: Retired airline pilot. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1964 | Bobby Anderson | Boulder | Back | Colorado | La Quinta, Calif. |
| Now: Liberty tax service. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1963 | Steve Elliott | Lakewood | Tackle | Colorado | Arvada |
| Now: Certified public accountant. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1962 | Jim Blaschke | East | Back | Stanford | Gilroy, Calif. |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1961 | Tom Elliott | Lakewood | Back | Stanford | Denver |
| Now: Attorney. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1960 | Gordon Rowley | Arvada | End | Colorado | France |
| Now: Consultant. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1959 | Ted Somerville | Greeley | Back | Colorado | Colorado Springs |
| Now: Owns nutrition company. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1958 | Kent Hutcheson | South | Back | Wheaton | Aurora |
| Now: Founder, Colorado UpLift. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1957 | Joe Romig | Lakewood | Back | Colorado | Boulder |
| Now: Physicist, engineer, CU professor. | |||||
|
|||||
| 1956 | Kay McFarland | Englewood | End | Colorado State | Littleton |
| Now: President, Alpha Dental Plan. | |||||
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| 1955 | Bob Erickson | East | G-LB | Northwestern | Maine |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
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| 1954 | Charles Inagaki | North | Guard | Denver | Lakewood |
| Now: Owner, real estate firm. | |||||
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| 1953 | Eloy Mares | Annunciation | Back | Denver | Deceased |
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| 1952 | Ray Carlsen | East | Back | Yale | Bellevue, Wash. |
| Now: Dermatopathologist | |||||
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| 1951 | Bill Faddis | Regis | Back | Southern California | Aurora |
| Now: Retired. | |||||
