LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 7, 2024) - University of Wyoming placekicker John Hoyland officially took over as the record holder for the all-time leading scorer in Cowboys football history during last Saturday’s victory against the University of New Mexico Lobos in Albuquerque.
Hoyland has scored 346 career points from 2020 to the present, earning himself a spot in the record books. He surpasses former record-holder Cooper Rothe, who scored 342 points from 2016 to 2019.
Hoyland joined the Cowboys as an under-recruited player. He took a moment to speak about his accomplishments and how it feels to be on the top, “It feels pretty good. Since I’ve been here a long time… the university means a lot to me, so I’m pretty happy to just be able to be up there.”
Hoyland and Rothe haven’t had the opportunity to meet in person (yet), but they have communicated regularly this season. Hoyland shared that Rothe reached out with a congratulatory message following the record-surpassing game. “We’ve been texting back and forth,” Hoyland said. “He congratulated me… so yeah, it was good to hear from him.”
Rothe, couldn’t have been prouder of Hoyland. Rothe shared, “That’s pretty cool… nobody is more deserving than John, somebody who’s [an] under-recruited kid from Colorado… he took a chance on himself, and he won that position from day one.”
Hoyland, who recently swapped his signature red shoes for a more functional pair, joked about the change in footwear but is happy with the upgrade. As for the rest of the season, Hoyland isn’t focused on breaking more records. Instead, his goal is to help Wyoming bring the Bronze Boot trophy back to Laramie next Friday night and enjoy his final moments as a Cowboy. “I want to bring the boot back to Laramie and… just make the most of it,” he said.
Following his decorated career at Wyoming, including a top-3 finalist for the Lou Groza award in 2018, Rothe has followed in his Father's footsteps and begun a career in financial planning. He now works as a financial consultant with Fidelity Investments in Colorado. He remains active in the kicking community, helping high school athletes pursue their dreams of kicking at the next level.
Rothe also offered Hoyland a lighthearted and joking reminder of the “extra covid year” Hoyland had to break the record but insists he’s fully supportive of Wyoming’s newest scoring leader. “I texted him after the game… he knows I’m in his corner,” Rothe said, “hopefully he keeps shattering records.”
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