Ward Dobbs Class: Junior Hometown: Fairbanks, Alaska High School: West Valley Height / Weight: 6-0 / 229 Position: Inside Linebacker

UW This Season: Ward Dobbs will be one of the top linebackers in the Mountain West Conference in 2007. He earned Second Team All-MWC honors as a sophomore in 2006. Dobbs is a dynamic performer for the Cowboy Defense, and is the leading returning tackler, recording 69 last season. He moved to one of the inside linebacking spots in `06 in Wyoming's new 3-4 scheme after playing an outside linebacking spot in 2005. He will team with fellow inside linebacker Luke Chase to form one of the best inside-linebacking tandems in the Mountain West Conference in 2007.

2006: Dobbs ranked second on the Cowboy Defense in tackles with 69 as a sophomore. In addition to earning Second Team All-MWC honors, he was also named MWC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in a 31-15 win over Utah. He joined teammate Julius Stinson as MWC Co-Defensive Player of the Week against the Utes. Dobbs recorded eight tackles, two sacks and forced one fumble vs. Utah. Twice during the `06 season Dobbs was credited with double figures in tackles. He made an amazing 18 tackles versus Air Force, and was credited with 12 against Boise State. Dobbs ranked 16th in the MWC in tackles, averaging 5.8 per game.

2005: Dobbs took over as a starter at the weakside linebacker position following a season-ending ankle injury to senior Jeff Tatnall in the sixth week of the season versus TCU. Only a redshirt freshman, Dobbs made the most of his opportunity, as he averaged 12.0 tackles per game in the five games he started to end the season. He ranked second on the Cowboy squad in tackles for the season, with 75, despite not entering the starting lineup until the seventh week of the season. In those final five games of the `05 season, Dobbs recorded three double-figure tackle games. He made 18 tackles versus Utah, 16 against BYU and 11 versus New Mexico. His strong showing in conference play earned him Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. He ranked eighth in the MWC in forcing fumbles (two forced fumbles), and ranked 16th in tackles (6.8 tackles per game). Earned his first varsity letter.

2004: Redshirted after enrolling at the University of Wyoming in the spring semester of 2004.

2003: Dobbs originally committed to Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., as a gray shirt but later decided to attend the University of Wyoming.

High School: Dobbs was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the State of Alaska his senior year of high school. He was also selected the Defensive Player of the Year in Alaska as a senior. Dobbs earned All-State honors as both a linebacker and running back his junior and senior seasons. He was a four-year starter at West Valley High School in Fairbanks, and was a three-year team captain. An outstanding wrestler, as well, he placed third in state as a freshman and second in state as a sophomore. Dobbs also won the 200-pound weight classification at the Tulsa Wrestling Nationals following his sophomore season before deciding to focus on football only. Throughout his four-year high school career, Dobbs was an honor student. His initial introduction to the University of Wyoming came in the summer before his senior year when he attended the UW summer football camp with his West Valley High team. His high school football coach was Roy Roehl. Dobbs was also recruited by Boston College, Colorado, Colorado State, Northeastern, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia.

Personal: Born Dec. 22, 1985, he is the youngest of four children of Ann and Mike Dobbs. He has one older sister, Monica, and two older brothers, Jake and Isaac. Isaac wrestled in college at Northern Idaho. Dobbs is majoring in physical education-teaching.