four offensive and three defensive starters, plus three key reserves. Williams was the lone senior.

A year later, Wyoming fell to 1-9, after which Eaton resigned.

The coach never discussed the incident again — except with his wife, Dolly.

“He was not bitter,” said Dolly from Nampa, Idaho, where she and her husband moved in retirement. He died two years ago of a stroke at age 88. “He had a good conscience about it,” Dolly said. “All the people thought like he did. You should not make fun or criticize another religion.”

She does not think her husband’s ruling crippled Wyoming football, but the Cowboys had trouble recruiting African-American players for many years, and had but one winning season in the 1970s. They didn’t win another outright WAC title until 1987.

Church changesits policy

While this story has a sad beginning, it has a happy ending, and not because 4-5 Wyoming has an improved football team. Nearly all the Black 14 earned degrees and had successful careers.

But the biggest victories came off the field. A year after the Black 14, the first African-American played for BYU. In 1978, the Mormon Church dropped its policy excluding African-Americans from priesthood.

As it turns out, the Black 14’s legacy is greater than any bowl victory.

“No doubt about it,” Hamilton said. “Historically, people had to suffer to get the true legacy of their actions. If we went back on the team, nobody would remember that.”

It all hit home with Hamilton one day 10 years ago. His son, Malik, was attending Utah State and had some news