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Colorado was admitted to the union as the nation's 38th state in 1876, earning it the nickname "The Centennial State" in honor of the 100th birthday of the United State that year.
In the years since, its universities have produced a number of decorated college athletes whose accomplishments resonated far beyond their respective campuses.
Though it's primarily known now as the home of Deion Sanders and everything that comes with fourth-year head football coach, Colorado has a proud history as a football program, with a national championship and two Heisman Trophy winners, and an overall athletic department, with historically excellent skiing and long-distance running programs.
Colorado State, which is embarking on its first season as a Pac-12 member during the 2026-27 academic year, has been the home of future NFL All-Pros and Olympic medalists. Air Force enjoyed a lengthy run as a national football power. The state has been a longtime hub for college hockey, as well. Denver has won a Division I-leading 11 men's ice hockey national championships, including three of the past five. The Pioneers' skiing program also has the most national titles in the country). Colorado College has two men's ice hockey national championships to its name.
Who stands out the most from those schools' all-time greats?
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States, USA TODAY Sports is ranking the top 10 college athletes from each state. The athlete doesn't have to be from the state, but is required to have attended college there to be considered.
Here's who made the cut for Colorado:
10 greatest college athletes from Colorado
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Though Hunter is fewer than two years removed from his last snap at Colorado, this isn't a case of recency bias. Hunter did basically anything a college football player could, both in terms of what he did on the field and the awards he won off of it. The rare two-way player in modern major college football, the wide receiver/cornerback logged an absurd 2,625 snaps in two seasons with the Buffs despite missing almost five games due to injury. As a junior in 2024, the Jackson State transfer won the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in college football, the Biletnikoff Award as the sport's top wide receiver and became the first repeat recipient of the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the nation's most versatile player.
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Rashaan Salaam, Colorado
Thirty years before Hunter replicated the feat, Salaam won the Heisman, becoming the first player in Colorado history. The honor came at the end of one of the most decorated seasons ever for a college running back. Salaam rushed for 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry and 186.8 yards per game as a junior. At the time, it was the fourth-highest rushing total in a season in what is now known as the Bowl Subdivision — and that came despite Salaam sitting out the fourth quarter in five of the team's 11 games.
Hale Irwin, Colorado
Irwin was a rarity in his time in Boulder, a two-sport star in football and golf. On the gridiron, he was a two-time first-team All-Big Eight selection at cornerback in 1965 and 1966, and was selected to Colorado's 25-member all-century team in 1989 to commemorate the program's 100th season. He was even better as a golfer. He won the Big Eight conference championship in 1966 and 1967 and won the NCAA championship in 1967. After graduating, Irwin went on to earn 20 PGA Tour titles and U.S. Open wins in 1974, 1979 and 1990.
Becky Hammon, Colorado State
Before she became a trailblazing basketball coach, Hammon first became a national name in the sport at Colorado State. Nearly 30 years after her final college game, Hammon remains the Rams' career leader in points, points per game, made field goals, made free throws, made 3-pointers and steals. Colorado State made the NCAA tournament in three of her four seasons at the school, capped off by a run to the Sweet 16 in 1999 with a team that finished 33-3. It remains the only time the Rams have made it to the second week of the tournament. That season, she was a first-team All-American and won the Francis Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best senior player under 5-foot-8.
Bill Hay, Colorado College
Hay was the star player on Colorado College's second, and most recent, men's hockey national championship in 1957. It was the highlight of a stellar career at the school in which he was an All-American in each of his two college seasons. He averaged 2.57 points per game during that time, which still stands as a program record. Hay became the first collegian to play in the NHL and spent eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2015, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Chad Hennings, Air Force
Though he originally arrived at Air Force as a tight end, Hennings became the most decorated player in program history on the other side of the ball. In 1987, he was a unanimous All-American and won the Outland Trophy, given annually to the top interior lineman in college football. That season, he led the nation in sacks with 24. Earlier in his career, Hennings was a key player on an Air Force team that went 12-1, beat Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finished eighth in the final AP poll. He was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Bill Masterton, Denver
Masterton played an integral role on two of Denver's first NCAA championship teams and won NCAA tournament most outstanding player honors for the second of those title runs, in 1961. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native was a two-time first-team All-American who racked up the most statistically efficient career in the Pioneers' storied history. Masterton accumulated 196 points in just 89 career games, an average of 2.2 per game. Each of the three players tied with or ahead of him on the program's all-time points list played in at least 123 career games. The team's annual MVP award is named after him. Masterton died at 29 years old in January 1968, three months into his rookie season in the NHL, after a devastating hit he suffered in a game.
Thurman 'Fum' McGraw, Colorado State
McGraw was not only a three-sport athlete, but he earned All-American recognition in all three: football (1948, 1949), track and field (discus in 1949) and wrestling (1949). He's the only athlete in school history to earn that distinction. His most notable contributions came in football, where he reversed the program's fortunes over the course of his career. After going 2-7 during his freshman season in 1946, Colorado State went 9-1 during his senior season. Following his legendary run in Fort Collins, he embarked on a professional career in which he earned All-Pro honors twice with the Detroit Lions, who he helped lead to NFL championships in 1952 and 1953.
Amy Van Dyken, Colorado State
Van Dyken was already a college swimming star when she transferred from Arizona to Colorado State in 1993, with 12 All-American awards to her name. In Fort Collins, she became even better. In 1994, she won the NCAA championship in the 50-yard freestyle and set an American record while also earning second-place finishes in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly. For those achievements, she was named the 1994 NCAA female swimmer of the year. After he college career, Van Dyken won six Olympic gold medals.
Byron 'Whizzer' White, Colorado
White's best known today for his 31-year tenure as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, but before he ditched the fields of competition for a black robe, he was quite the all-around athlete. His most notable contributions came in football, where White finished second in Heisman Trophy voting in 1937 after leading the country in rushing yards (1,121), total offense (1,596 yards), all-purpose yards (1,970) and scoring (122 points). That season, he also returned three punts for touchdowns and for his career, he recorded eight interceptions on defense. He was Colorado's first All-American in football. His athletic exploits didn't end there. White was a .400 hitter for the school's baseball team and was a standout on a men's basketball team that made the NIT in 1938, back when it was the sport's most prestigious tournament.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from Colorado
