CSU alumnus Joe Frei remembers fondly the days when CSU great Greg Myers donned the green and gold.

“Those were some of the best teams we ever had,” Frei said Saturday at CSU’s Homecoming game. “(Myers) was certainly a big part of it.”

Frei, a 1994 graduate, transferred to CSU when he was 20 years old from Missouri Southern and has lived in Colorado ever since. He often attends the home games with his family and said he remembers Myers as one of the best all-time players at CSU.

Myers played safety for the Rams from 1992-95. He finished his collegiate career with 15 interceptions and 1,332 yards on punt returns and was inducted into both the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. During his playing days, he helped compile an overall record of 28-19 with the Rams.

The Rams honored Myers at halftime by hanging his No. 3 jersey in Hughes Stadium among fellow Ram greats Thurman “Fum” McGraw and Eddie Hanna.

“It’s a huge honor,” Myers said. “When you look up there and see someone like Fum McGraw next to your name it’s like, wait a second this isn’t right. I had the pleasure of knowing him and being around him a little bit, him coming in and singing the fight songs; so that’s pretty exciting for me. It’s humbling and also I just realize I didn’t get there by myself, so I wish I could take everybody who’s had anything to do with my career with me to all these events that I’ve had this year because it’s been crazy.”

One of the most decorated athletes in CSU history, Myers was the recipient of the Jim Thorpe award in 1995, an award given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. He was taken in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in the NFL for four five seasons and ended his career with the Dallas Cowboys.

But Myer’s on-field success is only part of his story. After ending his career in the NFL, Myers went to medical school and is now an anesthesiologist in Denver.

“The guy’s a winner, he does it all,” athletic director Jack Graham said. “He’s a person of great character, he’s excelled academically and in his career. We say over and over again to each other in the athletic department at Colorado State, if you want to be a success (at CSU) you have to do it all. You have to be those three things: a person of character, succeed academically and you’ve got to win, and Greg epitomizes that and he’s a great leader.”

The Rams weren’t able to pull off a win on Saturday but players and coaches understand how much Myers meant to the program and how much he still means to CSU.

“I was really excited for Greg,” head coach Jim McElwain said after the game.”He’s been a great supporter and great friend of this (Ram) family and it will be nice to see (his jersey number) when you come out to Hughes every day. He deserves it.”

CSU Football Beat Reporter Katie O’Keefe can be reached at sports@collegian.com.