Dave Walsh: Conrad Dobler and Marty English – Two Pillars Of UW Football

Conrad Dobler passed away Sunday. 

Marty English retired this week.

These are two people with very strong ties to University of Wyoming who made their marks on Cowboys football – and the sport in general – in different ways.

Dobler was a former UW player who would go on to a very colorful and successful NFL career. 

English is now the former Cowboys assistant football coach, who coached two different, and very successful, stints at Wyoming.

Dobler was a good football player at Wyoming, a two-way player back in 1969-71. He played offensive line and defensive line at Wyoming. He was never an all-conference pick, but Dobler was a top player on some Wyoming teams that struggled to win back in the early 1970s. 

He would play well enough to be drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth round of the 1972 NFL Draft. He would play 10 seasons in the National Football League for three teams. He played offensive line Cardinals, New Orleans Saints,and Buffalo Bills.

And it was during this decade in the NFL when Dobler became a “personality.” 

Obviously, Dobler was an effective offensive lineman in the NFL. He was good enough to play what is considered a long NFL career. 

It was the way he played, the methods he used, that would become the story of Conrad Dobler.

And it was Dobler himself who would put those methods out front, even being dubbed the NFL’s “dirtiest player.” 

He would discuss his techniques publicly, and he even embraced that reputation in his bestselling book about the way he played the game, “They Call Me Dirty.”

Conrad Dobler was a good football player, a tough Wyoming Cowboy and a character. And Conrad Dobler was a very special personality.

R.I.P. Conrad.

Marty English

English is one of the most respected college football coaches in the country, and after 37 seasons in coaching is retiring. 

English has been Wyoming’s defensive ends coach the past three seasons. He has been an assistant at Wyoming, during two stints, for 12 UW football seasons. English has also coached linebackers and was the defensive coordinator from 2009-11.

The success that the Cowboys have had, especially on defense, during the “English years” has been remarkable. That includes virtually all of the bowl seasons and bowl victories the Cowboys have had.

English came to Wyoming in 2003 from Northern Colorado. He was a UNC graduate, played there and coached there. He was the defensive coordinator at UNC the year before he came to Wyoming to coach linebackers.

English left Wyoming in 2012 when he went to arch-rival Colorado State and became the Rams’ defensive coordinator. Then it was back to his alma-mater, Northern Colorado, for two-years as associate head coach/defensive coordinator.

After eight years away, Marty and Suzie came home. English coached the defensive ends at Wyoming the past three seasons. 

He has finished his coaching career at precisely the right time. Coach English says It is time for him to spend more time with Suzie and the family.

This is the place for the coach to retire. 

Marty English is one of those once-a-Cowboy-always-a-Cowboy types. Many Wyomingites, including yours truly, can relate. 

We may not have been born in Wyoming, but we found Wyoming a bit later in life. And for us, it was then we realized this was the place to be.

Marty and Suzie showed their feelings about Wyoming by coming back.

Thanks, coach English, thanks Suzie, for many years of outstanding work. All of Wyoming, and especially Wyoming football, appreciates it.