Local family helps Stringers make it to all-star contest in Dallas

Riley Stringer was given the chance to play in one more high school football game in December.

Andy, Ty and Dick Nelson made sure Stringer’s family was there to see it.

In the summer, Stringer received an invitation to play in the Blue-Grey All American Bowl on Dec. 14 at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Stringer’s selection came following a 2013 season in which he was named the top football player in the Casper Star Tribune’s Super 25 post-season rankings after helping lead the Powell High School Panthers to their third straight Class 3A state championship.

Stringer followed up his junior season with another appearance on the Super 25 this year after recording 50 tackles, five sacks, a pair of fumble recoveries and a blocked kick.

Stringer’s strong year came despite the fact he nursed an injured ankle the first half of the season. He also played his first prep season without his father Jim Stringer coaching him, after the PHS head coach died in July.

The chance to play with some of the best high school talent in the nation was an opportunity for Riley Stringer to end his high school career on a high note, and members of the Nelson family recognized the importance of sending Stringer’s family to Dallas with him.

His grandmother, Peggy Stringer, is the branch manager of First Bank of Wyoming in Lovell, and when her immediate supervisors, Andy, Ty and Dick Nelson, learned of her grandson’s big game, they decided to lend a hand.

“They’re part of our extended family,” Andy Nelson said of the Stringers. “The opportunity came, and we decided this was a good thing to help them with.”

The Nelsons helped cover travel and overnight expenses for several of Riley Stringer’s family members, including his grandmother and mother, Jill Stringer. It would be the last time Riley Stringer would wear his No. 77 in a high school football game, and the Nelsons made sure they were there to witness it and cheer him on.

“They really did something special for us,” Peggy Stringer said.

During his interview for this story, Riley Stringer made it a point to send his appreciation to the Nelson family for putting his family in the stands for his final prep game.

Stringer admitted he was somewhat intimidated heading into the game, citing Wyoming’s smaller talent pool compared to other states.

“I was expecting to get down [to Dallas] and get whooped,” Stringer said. “I knew I was going to be playing against guys from bigger schools and bigger states, so I expected it to be tough.”

Despite drawing the short straw, literally, prior to the game, Stringer did what he has always done in his career: He made an impact. Prior to the start of the game, the defensive linemen on Stringer’s team, the West team, drew straws in the locker room to see who would start. Stringer pulled first and pulled the short straw.

Still, the 6-1, 260-pound lineman found playing time in all four quarters, recording four tackles and half a sack as the West held on to beat the East 7-6.

Jill Stringer said following the contest that she believed the spirit of her husband was present during the tight battle, as Jim Stringer’s state championship victories with the Powell Panthers came down to the wire.

“I know Jim was there with us,” Jill Stringer said. “He would have been here with us no matter what, but I know he was there with us that day.”

The coaching staffs for both teams were comprised of former NFL coaches and players, including nine-time Pro Bowl and six-time All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins, who coached on the West squad. Dawkins played 16 seasons in the NFL, including his final three for Riley Stringer’s favorite team, the Denver Broncos.

Stringer said getting to learn from the NFL veterans was a surreal experience.

“To be around guys with so much knowledge of the game, that was awesome,” he said. “You learn how they play the game and you learned so much more about football, it was awesome.”

Stringer has drawn interest from several collegiate football programs, but he has yet to decide on his football destination after high school. He hopes to land a spot on Craig Bohl’s roster at the University of Wyoming, where Stringer’s father played for two seasons.

All three of Riley Stringer’s prep state football championships came at UW’s War Memorial Stadium in Laramie. He is planning to make a college visit to UW in the next few weeks.