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LARAMIE – Thirty-five years ago, Kenneth “Dabby” Dawson was enjoying “pretty girls and parties” during the recruiting process.
“The truth is, Wyoming wasn’t on my list,” Dawson admits. “My mother really picked Wyoming.”
Dawson, a highly touted prospect coming out of Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College, was soaking up the social life during visits to big-name schools.
The standout running back had a list of offers to play in the Big Eight for Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Dawson even made a visit to Cal and told his mom he wanted to continue his career in Berkeley.
“She would always say, ‘Well, did they talk about academics?’” Dawson recalled. “I would say, ‘No, but I’m sure they were going to get to it.’ She would say, ‘Do you think you should go there, or you should keep looking?’”
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Dawson kept looking and made one final visit to Laramie.
After getting a tour of War Memorial Stadium and going out on the town with players and coeds, a staffer knocked on the prospect’s door early the next morning for a meeting at the academic office.
The Pokes’ more balanced pitch won out.
“They can thank Louise Dawson for me getting to Wyoming, to be honest with you,” Dawson said of his late mother. “But when I got there, it was where I was supposed to be.”
Dawson, who helped lead the Cowboys to the 1988 WAC championship and became the first player in program history with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, will be inducted into the UW Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 1.
The 2023 class also includes former women’s basketball head coach Chad Lavin, men’s basketball star Larry Nance Jr., women’s basketball star Aubrey Vandiver, the 1968-69 WAC champion men’s basketball team and the 1984-86 two-time WAC championship wrestling teams.
“It was humbling and also very, very cool,” Dawson said of getting the hall call. “When I was playing, I wasn’t really thinking about that stuff. I was just trying to get the job done. I think as time goes by you forget what impact you had. So, it has been great to be reminded and to be voted in and to be appreciated.”
‘It was a big deal for me’
Dawson grew up in Wichita, Kansas, as the second youngest of 11 children. His aunt Dorothy used to describe him “a little dab” from the Brylcreem slogan in commercials at the time, which led to the “Dabby” nickname that stuck like the hair product.
When the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Dawson stepped on UW’s campus, little “Dabby” started at the bottom of legendary head coach Paul Roach’s depth chart.
The Pokes were coming off a WAC title in 1987 and were in repeat mode when the 1988 fall camp began. Dawson was playing catch-up after missing spring practice.
By the time the nationally televised opener against BYU arrived, Dawson’s talent had become obvious to Roach and offensive coordinator Joe Tiller, who put him in the rotation.
The eventual WAC newcomer of the year made his debut in UW’s 24-14 win over the Cougars in the first night game ever played at War Memorial Stadium.
“I had never been on ESPN or anything like that, so when I got there it was a lot,” Dawson said. “I was still getting really comfortable with the plays. Emotionally I was good, I just think that first game I was doing too much thinking instead of playing.
“After a couple of games, everything kind of came together, but I guess it was pretty cool because that was the first time the family got to actually watch me on national TV. So, it was a big deal for me.”
Dawson rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries during a 44-9 rout at Louisville the next week. He played a role in UW’s dramatic 48-45 win at Air Force.
The Cowboys trailed 38-17 before putting four touchdowns on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter to stun the Falcons.
“The guys who were there before were talking about how we were going to be great, we’re going to be this, we’re going to be that. I didn’t really understand it until the Air Force game,” Dawson said. “It was bananas. There were times when we were behind in that game, and I’m thinking, ‘Man, should I be concerned?’
“But then I looked around at everybody else and they all seemed to be calm. So, if they’re calm, I’m going to be calm. That’s literally how I went through that game, and then when the opportunity presented itself you just went out and you made plays. I think that game was really what let me know as a new person to the team that we had something that could potentially be great.”
Dawson had his breakout performance with 225 yards rushing and four touchdowns in a 55-27 victory at San Diego State.
The Pokes averaged 44.9 points during a 10-0 start that included a 61-18 curb stomping of Utah, a 48-14 Border War win at Colorado State and a 51-6 win over UTEP.
“When you’re putting up 40 and 50 and 60 points on people, honestly it’s just what I expected,” Dawson said of clinching the WAC championship with the blowout of the Miners at a jam-packed War Memorial Stadium. “When it happened, it was cool to see your hard work come to fruition, but honestly, that was just my mindset.”
‘Best running back in the WAC’
UW was ranked No. 10 in The Associated Press poll before suffering a 34-10 loss at Houston and bouncing back with a 28-22 win at Hawaii to clinch the outright WAC title with an 8-0 conference record.
Waiting for the Pokes in the Holiday Bowl was Oklahoma State, led by Dawson’s famous childhood friend.
Barry Sanders, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner and eventual Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee following a spectacular career with the Detroit Lions, had high praise for his UW counterpart entering the game.
“Dabby is just as fast as I am and just as quick, maybe quicker,” Sanders told the Los Angeles Times during practices leading up to the matchup. “He was just as good a player as I was coming out of high school, and I’m sure he’s just as good now. He just didn’t have the breaks I did.”
During the regular season, Sanders ran for an NCAA-record 2,670 yards and scored 37 touchdowns. Dawson earned all-WAC honors with 1,119 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. They both averaged 7.6 yards per carry entering the rematch.
“I would talk to Barry during the season and really we would talk trash back and forth,” Dawson said of his former Pop Warner teammate. “I was competing against Barry; I wasn’t really competing against the WAC. I would call Barry and say, ‘Man, I’m going to get you this week.’
“I could never beat that dude, but it really lifted my game to where I was the best running back in the WAC. Our conversations and our little behind-the-scenes competitions made us both better. Growing up with him since Little League, it was cool for two kids from Wichita, Kansas, who grew up five or six blocks from each other to be at the Holiday Bowl together.”
Sanders showcased his rare skill set with 222 yards rushing and five touchdowns to lead the Cowboys from Stillwater to a 62-14 victory over UW in the Holiday.
Dawson describes his senior season as a “grind” despite rushing for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns in 1989.
With many of the stars from the back-to-back WAC championship teams graduated, including WAC offensive player of the year Randy Welniak and defensive player of the year Pat Rabold, the Pokes finished 5-6.
However, Louise’s son left Laramie with a UW business degree in hand.
“At the end of the day, that is really important,” said Dawson, who had a brief stint with the Philadelphia Eagles after graduating. “We’re all going pro, whether it’s in the NFL or as a professional journalist or whatever. So, it’s important to get your degree, and if the football works out, that’s great. And if it doesn’t, it’s not the end, it’s just the beginning of a different path.”
Dawson, who lives in Denver, started the LID (Leaders In Development) Foundation, a non-profit that provides resources to children who are aging out of the foster care system.
“A lot of them are just out there on their own and the statistics are not very good,” Dawson said. “So, we’re in the process now of working with Denver County to get the program up and running 100 percent and we’re going to try to impact and change some lives.”
Follow UW beat writer Ryan Thorburn on Twitter @By_RyanThorburn
