BOULDER, Colo. -- Anthony Weatherspoon, a fullback who
helped transform Colorado into a national power in the mid-1980s,
died after a long struggle with leukemia. He was 39.
Weatherspoon, who died Tuesday in Houston, also suffered from a
rare blood disorder. He needed a bone marrow transplant and had
found a donor. But he was never healthy enough to have the surgery.
"Spoon was a tenacious fullback, and his talents helped lay the
foundation that turned the Buffs into a national power," former
teammate Brad Robinson said. "He had that brilliant smile in the
locker room and on campus with his teammates and friends."
When coach Bill McCartney switched the Buffaloes to the wishbone
offense in 1985, Weatherspoon led the team with 569 yards and was
second in rushing in 1986 with 581 yards. He ran for 101 yards in
Colorado's 21-17 victory over Oregon in 1985, one of the big wins
in the team's return to national prominence.
He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and three daughters.