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PROVO -- The BYU Cougars have the difficult task of trying to establish a consistent team with several players preparing to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and those currently serving.
Linebacker Spencer Hadley, from a rural town in Washington, is currently serving a mission in the Roseville, California area and plans on attending BYU when he is released as a missionary.
Coach Bronco Mendenhall believes that "Spencer is a great story."
In high school Spencer played as a running back and as a slot receiver; however, when he came to BYU's summer camp, the team switched him to the linebacker position, which is where they felt he could be more effective.
"We tried him at running back, but we didn't think he was a running back," Bronco said. "We tried him as a slot receiver, but we didn't think he was a slot receiver. We tried him at safety, but didn't think he was a safety."
On the second to last practice of the camp, the coaching staff decided to try Spencer out as a linebacker, which is where the team eventually knew he fit.
"After about five minutes, we realized he was a linebacker," Bronco said.
The coaching staff knew that Spencer was undersized for his position, but decided to offer him a scholarship at the end of camp.
Next year, when Spencer returns, coach Mendenhall believes that the defense will be really good because there will be a lot of good players returning home from a mission.
