Logan Wilson smiles and shakes his head when asked about it.
The Casper product and University of Wyoming senior middle linebacker is known as the “Governor of Wyoming” among his teammates. It is something Wilson has heard the last few years.
Logan Wilson smiles and shakes his head when asked about it.
The Casper product and University of Wyoming senior middle linebacker is known as the “Governor of Wyoming” among his teammates. It is something Wilson has heard the last few years.
“I just kind of go with it now,” he said. “I never really thought it would get to that point where I’d be nicknamed the Governor of Wyoming.
“It is cool and fun, and it is cool to be in the position that I am at the University of Wyoming in terms of the social status and all that stuff. I am humbled by it.”
With no disrespect to the real governor of Wyoming, Mark Gordon, Wilson has done a lot to earn that nickname.
He has led the Cowboys in tackles each of the past two seasons at middle linebacker. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, he was the Mountain West freshman of the year as an outside linebacker.
Wilson has come a long way since being a cornerback at Natrona County High in Casper. He was recruited to UW as a safety, but moved to linebacker due to need.
When all is said and done, Wilson may be one of the best linebackers to play at UW. In three seasons, he has 316 tackles, 24½ tackles for loss and six interceptions. He is on pace to rank in the top five in school history in career tackles and tackles for loss.
Jay Niemann was hired to coach UW’s linebackers in the offseason, but not long after the end of spring drills, he left to take a job at Iowa. Niemann, who has more than 30 years of coaching experience, didn’t have a lot of time with Wilson, but what he had made a strong impression on him.
“He is a real special player,” he said.
Wilson will need to be special in 2019 as he anchors a defense that must replace a lot of production and leadership along the defensive line and at safety.
UW has a new defensive coordinator in Jake Dickert, who coached the safeties the past two seasons. Dickert coached the safeties during the spring, but was assigned to coach linebackers this summer.
Despite the change in coaches, Wilson is confident the defense will be fine, and at a similar level as last season, where it allowed 22 points per game and ranked in the top 20 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards allowed (326.2 per game).
“We’re not where we need to be right now, but we will be when the season starts,” Wilson said. “We have a bunch of guys who work hard and want to be good. I like the coaches we have, and have all the confidence that will be a good defense like we have been the last couple of years.”
That’s a statement one would expect from the governor.
“We call him that a lot, and it is definitely fitting to call him the governor,” sophomore linebacker Chad Muma said. “It is the perfect nickname for him.”
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