by staff–12 Jan ’16
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) released its 2015 Freshman All-America Team on Monday afternoon and Wyoming free safety Andrew Wingard was one of only 29 freshmen in the nation to be named to this year’s team. The FWAA selected 12 players on offense, 12 on defense and five on special teams to this season’s FWAA Freshman All-America Team.
“Andrew (Wingard) had an outstanding season for us this past year, and we appreciate the Football Writers Association recognizing him for his play,” said Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl. “It is a great honor for him to be mentioned among the top freshmen in the nation. Andrew plays the game of football with great passion. He combines his athleticism with a relentless work ethic and excellent leadership skills. He is the type of young man that we are looking to recruit as we continue to build the Wyoming Football program.”
Wingard, who started at free safety as a true freshman this season, led the Cowboys in total tackles, with 122. He ranked 12th inthe nation in tackles and No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference, averaging 10.2 tackles per game. The native of Arvada, Colo., averaged 6.9 solo tackles per game to rank No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Mountain West.
Wingard became the first Wyoming freshman to exceed 100 tackles in a single season (122). His 122 total tackles rank as the 15th best single-season total in school history.
The true freshman recorded seven double-figure tackles games in the first 12 games of his career. He had a single-game best 16 tackles at San Diego State, 15 tackles at Utah State, 12 vs. Washington State and Eastern Michigan, 11 vs. Boise State and Colorado State and 10 at Air Force. He intercepted his first career pass versus Colorado State. He also was credited with 7.0 tackles for loss in 2015.
Wingard played his high school football at Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, Colo. He was coached in high school by Matt Loyd. His parents are Dan and Missy Wingard. His father was a three-year letterman as a punter at the University of Nebraska from 1983-85.
