University honors black players dismissed from team in 1969

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — The University of Wyoming is welcoming back eight black football players after a racist episode 50 years ago led to them being dismissed from the team.

University officials plan to unveil a plaque Friday commemorating the Black 14 athletes at War Memorial Stadium.

Members of the group say they’re getting a warm welcome, but there’s still work to be done to clarify what happened to the 1969 Cowboys football team.

That year, black team members approached head coach Lloyd Eaton to ask to wear black armbands in a game against Brigham Young University. They wanted to protest racism in a previous BYU game.

Eaton dismissed the 14 black players before they could present a case.

Black 14 members say their biggest disappointment is not hearing Eaton explain himself. Eaton died in 2007.