Drew Van Maanen more than just a fullback for Cowboys

Call it the Six Degrees of Van Maanen, but unlike the game based off actor Kevin Bacon, everything about Van Maanen is very real. Van Maanen plays

the final home game of his career today when UW hosts Fresno State at War Memorial Stadium.

“It has been the most exciting and fun experience I’ve ever had in my life,” Van Maanen said.

“Once I left high school football, I didn’t think there was any way I could top that experience. These last four to five years have been mind-blowing.”

The personality

It doesn’t take long to realize that Van Maanen is an outgoing and positive person. You wouldn’t know if he was tired or having a bad day because he always has a smile on his face and an upbeat attitude.

“I’ve always been like that,” Van Maanen said. “Every day I wake up, I’m thankful for another day. I attack it and enjoy it.

“I enjoy talking. I don’t like being silent. I like being around people.”

That’s not something Van Maanen developed at UW.

“I’ve always been the loud guy,” he said with a smile. “I’m still friends with my first-grade teachers, who I keep in contact with, and I am told I am still the loudest kid they’ve ever experienced.”

You don’t have to look far to see where Van Maanen gets that from.

“That’s his dad,” Van Maanen’s mother, Shelia, said. “Mom is the humble side of Drew. The hard-working, goofy and forgiving part, that’s his dad.”

Andrew Van Maanen, Drew’s father, has a voice and laugh that are carbon copies of his son. He said Drew’s older brother and younger sister are more reserved. Despite the personality difference among siblings, the Van Maanens are a close-knit family.

“My wife and I always spent a ton of time with our kids,” Andrew said. “As they grew up, we were very involved in their lives.”

Van Maanen quickly became one of UW’s more personable players once he arrived in Laramie as a walk-on tight end in 2013 out of Chaparral High in Parker, Colorado.

Van Maanen may have been an unknown player back then, but that quickly changed.

Evolution of the player

Van Maanen’s first season at UW was with former coach Dave Christensen. Van Maanen redshirted in 2013, and then there was a coaching change.

Craig Bohl was hired, and he brought in a pro-style offense that utilized a fullback. UW had no fullbacks in the spread offense from the previous staff.

Van Maanen played fullback in high school and quickly volunteered to make the switch.

“Fullback is such a selfless position, so it says a lot about (Van Maanen) to do that,” UW running backs/fullbacks coach Mike Bath said.

Van Maanen earned a scholarship prior to the start of the 2014 season and played in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman, including eight starts.

Van Maanen hasn’t missed a game in his UW career, and plays in his 49th today.

“Drew always told me, ‘Mom, don’t worry about me. I’m going to get that full-ride scholarship,’” Shelia said. “He always knew. When we got that call from him that he was on scholarship, I couldn’t believe it.

“You tell that kid he can’t do something, he’s going to do it.”

Added Bath: “How he developed the last four years is a transformation that is borderline surprising. But then you look at the work he puts in and his character, and I guess it isn’t surprising.”

More than a player

Van Maanen has taken most of the snaps at fullback the past four seasons, which says a lot about his abilities and skills, but he also has helped other players.

Redshirt sophomore Jaylon Watson is Van Maanen’s backup this season. A former linebacker, Watson switched to fullback during the spring. As a redshirt in 2015, Watson was a scout team defensive end and often went up against Van Maanen in practice.

“He made me tough and realize the game speed of college,” Watson said. “When I moved to fullback, I needed Drew. He helped me the whole way. I’d be way below the pedestal to where I am now without Drew’s help.”

Van Maanen earned the respect of his teammates enough to be elected a captain this season.

“I love that guy. I’d take a bullet for him, and I know he would do the same for me,” said UW junior quarterback Josh Allen, who also is a captain.

“We are lucky to have a guy like that, and he epitomizes what college football is all about.”

More than a fullback

UW lost its long snapper for the season when senior graduate transfer Kolton Donovan injured a knee during the opener at Iowa. Bohl said in 37 years as a college coach he has never had that happen at any point during the season.

The Cowboys didn’t have another long snapper, so they turned to Van Maanen, who snapped in high school. However, Van Maanen hadn’t snapped in a game for UW.

True freshman walk-on Caleb Cantrell has taken on some of the long-snapping duties this season, but Van Maanen has handled most of it.

However, there was one instance when Van Maanen couldn’t snap.

In UW’s 16-13 home victory over Border War rival Colorado State on Nov. 4, Van Maanen dove and caught a 17-yard pass on the first play of what proved to be the game-winning touchdown drive in the snow midway through the fourth quarter.

“He made one of the best catches I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Bohl said.

Van Maanen said both of his arms went numb after the catch, and Bohl described it as a “double-stinger.” Van Maanen left the game and didn’t snap after the Cowboys’ touchdown six plays later.

Van Maanen’s pass-catching ability is another aspect of his game that has emerged this season. In his first three seasons, he caught seven passes for 62 yards. This season, he has six for 93 yards, including a long of 30.

“Drew is one of our most consistent players on offense, and also a kid we can trust,” Bath said. “(Offensive coordinator Brent) Vigen trusts him enough to throw him the football. Then, as our long snapper? I would have never guessed that.”

However, there is still one thing Van Maanen has yet to do for UW – carry the football on a play designed for him. How fitting would it be to see him get that opportunity in his final home game today?

A look back

UW has won 15 games the past two seasons, compared to only two in 2015. It will have consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1998-99, and play in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1987-88.

Aside from the games, there’s the different haircuts Van Maanen sports himself, plus those he coaxes his teammates to get prior to each season and also prior to the Cowboys’ Poinsettia Bowl game in 2016 against Brigham Young.

There have been mullets, mohawks and different hair colors. There also have been mustaches. Van Maanen said his favorite was the mullet.

Van Maanen took on the role as media member prior to the Poinsettia Bowl, grabbing the microphone from UW’s in-house video crew and doing mock interviews with players.

You never know what he is going to do next.

As Van Maanen’s playing career at UW winds down, he won’t soon forget the memories and friendships made. When asked for his fondest memory, he said: “The first day I got dropped off by my family here and us separating. It was a sad time, but I also was excited because it was a new step in life, and this was where I was going next.”

Van Maanen’s next step is uncertain at this point.

“He told me the other day he isn’t worried about it,” Shelia said. “He knows it is out of his control.”

If Van Maanen approaches his next step like he did when he came to UW more than five years ago, you can bet he will be just fine and will – in his words – “attack it and enjoy it” to the fullest.

Robert Gagliardi is the WyoSports senior editor. He can be reached at rgagliardi@wyosports.net or 307-755-3325. Follow him on Twitter at @rpgagliardi.