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Hello CougarNation!
I rejoice with all of you at an incredible opening game victory over the Washington Huskies. My two favorite head coaches in NCAA went head to head and BYU fought, and battled, and willed their way to a tremendous victory. It was a blast to watch the two headed QB monster that Bronco has created effectively work the game plan all the way to the best play in football, the victory formation where you take a knee. There was so much that was right with the game and the weekend that it just couldn't have been any better.
I got home from Korea a day later than expected because of a huge Typhoon that rolled right over the top of Seoul the day we were supposed to fly home. There were several BYU fans over in Korea who were following all of the preseason drama and pulling for the Cougs just as hard as anyone here at home. It was a joy and a privilege to spend a week with our troops letting them know how much we all appreciate them. Incredible! Always take the time to tell them thank you when you see a man or woman from our military walking in an airport or at a restaurant. Let them know how much you care.
One of the best parts of pre game for me was being able to visit with my two quarterbacks from BYU, John Walsh and Steve Sarkisian. The first person I met was John Walsh. He came back to BYU this week with all of the other BYU QB's. He was hesitant to make the trip since he didn't know what kind of reception he would get. He left school a year early for the NFL, played one year for the Bengals and that was it. He had a lot of potential and was even touted as a potential top three pick by Mel Kiper just before the draft. He has not been back to BYU since he left in 1994 after the Copper Bowl victory over Oklahoma.
It was so great to see him again. His face was bright and full of energy. He looked better than ever. He said he has three girls and his days are full of soccer games, dance and softball! I told him that he is like Ty Detmer because he has a house full of girls!
He was really complimentary to me about my career in the NFL and asked specifically what it was like to meet with President Bush. He read an article about the time Michele and I met with President Bush in New Jersey during his last campaign. He particularly wanted to know about the comments that were made regarding us praying for President Bush.
I told him that after we had visited with President Bush for about five minutes at a stump speech given about a mile from our home in New Jersey, that prior to leaving I mentioned to the President that we were praying for him. He stopped in his tracks, looked into our soul, and with profound dignity and gratitude said, "Thank you. That means more to me than anything else, that the citizens of this country would pray for their president."
When I said this to John he was really pumped up and animated. He then told me that he was a big fan of President Bush and that he loved the guy. I feel the exact same. After playing with John, I don't think I would have predicted that reaction from him. It has been so many years since we have talked, I can't even tell you how great it was to see him again and rekindle our friendship.
Part of the magic of BYU is just exactly what happened there. LaVell was a huge part of what makes people want to come back. John was standing with the son of one of his old BYU teammates Scott Brumfield who is coaching down at Dixie. His son is going to be an all American lineman someday, just watch. Hopefully he will be wearing a Y on his helmet.
John and I both wanted to say hello to Steve Sarkisian and so we walked down to where the Huskies were warming up. When Steve had a second, he ran over to where we were and we were able to visit with him for a minute. I couldn't be more proud of Steve and his career at USC, Oakland Raiders, and now at Washington.
Just before I met with John Walsh, I ran into Seb Sarkisian, Steve's dad. He is one of the all time class acts that has ever been on BYU's campus. As the father of the starting QB at BYU at the time, Steve's dad loved all of us players and he loved everything about BYU. Steve comes from a strong Catholic family and it was awesome to see how they felt right at home among the coaches, players, community and campus. I told Seb that I thought one of the most important reasons that Steve is a stud is because of him and his wife. They are incredible. Seb reminds me a lot of President Uchtdorf. He has an enthusiasm for life and a love of people mixed with his international background as a native of Armenia. His eyes light up when he sees people, regardless of whether they were starters for us, scout team guys, coaches or administrators. What a great quality to have.
One of the great things about attending BYU games is getting to see so many old friends, neighbors, relatives and BYU faithful. I caught up with Ty Detmer, Lee Johnson, and Jim Hermann. Vai wrote extensively about Jim's son Cole injuring his knee. Cole is one of the finest young men ever. His knee surgery went very well and I look forward to seeing what he is going to do. He has a lot of options. I am hoping he chooses to serve a mission. That will give his knee plenty of time to heal and when he comes back he will help BYU win a National Championship! I know one thing is for sure; his mom Leslie and his dad Jim are exactly what BYU is all about. They came to BYU without knowing anything about the place, caught the vision of its mission, and have gone forward to serve their family and community with pure hearts. I love them and have incredible respect for them. Good luck Cole. You will dominate!
One of the more notable events of the whole night was the amazing response BYU fans gave Jim McMahon! That was awesome. That showed great class from Cougar Fans. Jim dominated as a player at BYU. After he left, he has said plenty of disparaging things about the place, but you would never have known that by the way the whole stadium embraced him. I know from visiting with some of his friends that he was touched by the reception and that some bridges were restored. What a tribute to BYU fans. That was heart warming and inspiring.
The game was just as exciting as advertised! The pregame hype and the week of QB festivities were matched by an equally thrilling game. BYU played as a team. It was classic Bronco Mendenhall football. He said from spring that he might employ a two QB system. He had great confidence in both Riley and Jake, and now all of CougarNation knows why. He has two warriors in those two guys.
Knowing Bronco a little bit, I think what probably made him feel the best about the game, even more than winning, was the fact that his team played as a team. They won the game by banding together and fighting with great enthusiasm. How cool was it to see all of those young guys jumping around and congratulating each other after every play? The desire and will and fight that Bronco has talked about all offseason was on clear display for the whole world to see. They were a team of heroes, not of superstars.
The game was not interrupted by halftime, but was added to and improved! I was sitting in the stands with my brother Todd and his wife Megan and their family, my brother in law Steve and his wife Jen and their family. I was also with Rob Lamb and Larry Harmer, my mission companions and their families. There were so many great people in the stands as we cheered LaVell and the eight All American QB's that it couldn't have felt more like home. I love BYU games. I love seeing so many good people. I could fill up this blog with all of the great people that were in the stands cheering their heads off for the Cougs!
The tribute from Elder Holland to LaVell was awesome. He let LaVell know how much we all feel about him. It was a perfect honor for a world class man.
The game continued where it left off, but it improved. That is a testament to great coaching. The defense got even better at stopping Washington on third down. A great coaching staff can implement those kinds of adjustments.
The special teams were off the hook all game. They pinned the Huskies deep in their territory from the beginning. The Huskies had to feel like they were at the foot of Mt. Everest every time they took the long field they were given. That wears an offense down. It finally did the Huskies in and they could not sufficiently recover.
Eathyn Manumaleuna came up huge again by sticking his noggin in the path of the ball on the game's most critical play. He helped BYU win the Las Vegas bowl against UCLA by miraculously blocking a short field goal from a great field goal kicker. Then he took two years of his life and he went out into the world and made the biggest difference of all by serving as a missionary. He proclaimed to the world that Jesus Christ and His goodness are what really matter and that football is one of the great side benefits that we get to enjoy. Then he came home and promptly proceeded to help BYU win again with his effort and discipline by being in the RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME! That was LaVell's mantra as a coach. I can't tell you how many times he told us to do that. Bronco is teaching that same principles to the guys.
What a great way to start the season. As BYU gets ready for 9/11, Patriot's Day in Colorado Springs against the Air Force Academy, they will need to take the same fight and determination when they play the team quintessentially known for never giving up. I loved playing against Air Force because they gave a full measure of themselves on every snap. BYU will have a great week of practice. The most growth and learning that usually happens during a season is between the first and second game. Bronco will have the guys hungry and humble and in their game plan books. They will be ready to go.
They have already proved so much. They are going to be a fun team to watch and follow. The most important word in the last sentence is team. They are a team. They played together. That is what the game of football is all about.
Thanks for giving me a reason to connect with my old teammates. BYU Football is way more than a game.
