Written By Christian Lasher
On September 2nd when the Wyoming Cowboys open the 2023 season against the Red Raiders from Texas Tech, you will find Suzanne Ekeler with 20-25 of her closest friends, screaming in the stands at War Memorial Stadium. She will be cheering for the Cowboys, but specifically, #31, Wyett Ekeler. The Junior Safety from Windsor, Colorado is her 2nd son. Eight days later, she will be at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles screaming for her other son, Austin Ekeler, running back for the LA Chargers.
In the last two years, she has been to around 30 of her son’s football games. When not selling real estate in Northern Colorado, she is on the road or in a plane to go watch her boys.
Wyett says he is thrilled when he looks up in the stands and see his mother.
“I love her in the crowd. It gives me a sense of confidence when I know she’s there. It’s awesome having her going to all of mine and my brother’s games.”
When asked about the grueling travel schedule, Suzanne smiles and says, “You know what? It’s such a short time in life, I can sleep when I am dead!”
She adds, “Wyoming’s second week of the season, we play Portland state. We will drive home after the night game, and fly out Sunday morning. We get picked up at LAX at 9:30 am and go straight to Sofi to watch Austin, and then fly home Monday.”
The next weekend for the Pokes is the highly anticipated game at The University of Texas. Suzanne says she may fly in to San Antonio and spend Friday there or just fly into Austin, Texas Saturday for the Pokes vs. Longhorns game. She will then catch a red eye flight to Tennessee because Austin and the Chargers play the Titans the next day.
Early Life for the Ekelers
The Ekelers grew up in Briggsdale, Colorado, a town with just over 130 people. Older brother Austin played his high school football in nearby Ault, Colorado about 25 minutes away from their home.
After Austin decided to play his college ball at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Wyett decided to jump out from his older brother’s shadow and transfer to Windsor High School. “I wanted to go my own path and to go to a bigger school. I thought I’d have a better opportunity to go to a D1 (FCS) school moving out of Eaton.” Wyett says.
The younger Ekeler says the two main schools that recruited him in high school were Wyoming and Colorado State University. “CSU kept calling me, I was like no, you need to stop calling me, I’m going to Wyoming.”
Why Wyoming? “It literally lifted a weight off my shoulders to have someone like coach (Craig) Bohl who has been in football for a long time and actually knows what he is doing. He’s a great coach and great leader for our team, so having someone like that come to me and say we want you to be a part of this was amazing.”
Suzanne says the rural aspect of Laramie was huge when it came time for Wyett to make a decision where to go to school.
“After moving from Briggsdale to Windsor, as we drove up to Laramie on his official visit, he said, ‘Wow! Isn’t this beautiful?’ He hadn’t seen landscape like that in four years and it was like bringing him back home. The other thing was Coach Bohl. Coach was old school, and a handshake guy. We respected that.”
“The two boys bonded in Briggsdale with video games. When not playing Madden, Wyett was often running around with his older brother and his friends. Suzanne says he was always being the bat boy for Austin, or hitting balls for their dog to retrieve. On their childhood farm, the boys learned about toughness, hard work, and budgeting.
“She taught us grittiness..she raised us right I feel like for sure. I would not be here without my mother. She pushed us to be the best us and never to give up. Always keep working our butts off.” The younger Ekeler boy explains.
Suzanne says, “I told the boys early on, I can’t pay for you to go to school and you’re not graduating with debt…so you better figure it out.”
She adds, “When I was teaching high school, I would sit down Wyett for three months straight, I made him subtract the bills from the money that came in. At the end, I would say we still have to pay for groceries and gas. He said, ‘Mom we have no money!’ So When we are a week out from a paycheck and I said I can’t take you to McDonalds for a $1.12 burger, it means we can’t take you and get you a burger!”
Times have changed for the Ekeler family. Suzanne is a successful Realtor, and big brother Austin is entering his 7th year in the NFL.
Does older brother give Wyett advice about football? Both Suzanne and Wyett say that when the brothers get together, they don’t talk about football at all. It is just brother time. “It’s all brothers talking. When my brother and I get together, it’s just family stuff. We don’t really talk about football unless it’s like something big coming up. I want to get away from football when we are together and just be with my brother and hang out.” Wyett tells PokesNews.com.
Farm Life Meets LA LA Land
Suzanne says she loves traveling to Los Angeles to watch Austin and that LA is a great fit for her son. “He loves LA and would love to finish out his career there. He understands the platform that he has and that it’s not going to be there forever. He is really trying to make a difference.” Because of his work with the NFL Players Association, Suzanne was able to go the Bahamas this summer.
“That was legit. That was cool. It was bougie! First class on all the flights, everything was paid for…it was amazing.” Suzanne exclaims.
What’s one of the most special things that comes with your son playing in the NFL? “Do you know what the coolest thing is? Someone sent me a picture of Austin’s jersey in a Target!! That was legit. They have all the big guy’s names there. So seeing his name on a jersey in the store was really cool!” She adds that her oldest son is very busy with passion projects in his free time.
“This kid’s brain never shuts off…he is not off, even on the Chargers days off, which is Tuesday. He is developing two apps…always doing commercials and interviews, and working with his non-profits.”
Despite the busy NFL schedule, Austin has managed to make it back a couple times to 7,220’ to support his brother and help school his mother on the various positions in football.
“One of my official visits up here (Laramie,) we were watching the CSU game. We were helping her out with positions because we knew I was gonna come here and play defense. We were like, that’s the nickel, that’s free safety, strong safety all that stuff. She’s learned a lot now that I am on defense.” Wyett tells PokesNews.com.
Suzanne explains, “I knew the QB, running back, and receiver, but I didn’t know defense until Wyett was on defense. Austin helped me by comparing the Wyoming players to the Chargers players that I knew. I had to learn a whole new sport now…it’s called defense!”
Don’t let that fool you about Suzanne’s level as a fan.
“I’m in it with the fans…I love our section. I’m in the game. After every game…I’ve played the game. I am exhausted. I’ve gone on the highs and lows. I am not side-talking. I will high-five you, and cuss with you when we do something bad, but if you want to have any side conversations with me, don’t sit next to me cause you will piss me off and I will tell you to get lost We are here for a football game. I’m not here to catch up on your week!” Suzanne exclaims.
She says he loves going to War Memorial Stadium on Saturdays. “I love the whole atmosphere at Wyoming. I love how the guys walk through the crowd, I love the whole entrance. Wyett and I have talked about it. Our fans travel. They are legit about their football and a lot of their sports. They travel for basketball, volleyball, all of them!”
What about pro stadiums, which is her favorite? “Easily SOFI. But I can tell you,
Kansas City is not one of them. It is the worst stadium, college, or NFL. They are worst fans EVER…horrific fans.”
Like any proud mom, Suzanne loves how her boys treat the fans. “Wyett watches his brother interact with the kids and Wyett has emulated that at his time at UW. I am very proud of both of them and the young men they have become.”
What does she think is the difference between her two sons?
“Austin is very quiet…Wyett gonna jump up in your face and talk a little talk.”
She is a proud mom and beams when she tells the story of Wyett calling his older brother when he got his offer to play at UW.
“One of the coolest things Austin ever gave Wyett, because growing up people would always say, ‘Oh, you’re Austin Ekeler’s brother and it’s hard. So that’s one of the reasons he came to Windsor, he wanted to get out of Briggsdale and not be compared to Austin all the time. But when Wyett got his offer, he called his brother, and Austin said, ‘Wyett, that is something I will never get to claim!’ The fact that his brother gave that to him…that was very meaningful.”
Older brother Austin didn’t get any Division 1 (FBS) offers to play college. Wyett adds, “That’s the only thing I am one-up on my brother! He went D2 and I went D1! I was so happy, Of course he’s in the league (NFL) now, I will always be one up…and that’s a cool feeling.”
Despite the travel and the expense of her life, Mama Ekeler reflects and sums it all up, “I would love to be able to stay in Laramie after a game…But I gotta get home! When it’s all said and done, you just have to sit back with the craziness and say, oh, ok…this is kinda cool!”
What a great family!!