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PROVO — Michael Wadsworth didn't always know he wanted to come to BYU.
A native of Orem, Utah, the 2009 graduate of Las Vegas' Silverado High originally signed with Hawaii out of high school but left for a two-year LDS Church mission to Leeds, England, shortly before new coach Norm Chow took over in the islands.
Like many college athletes in similar situations, Wadsworth sought a transfer, this time to BYU.
Hawaii never officially gave it to him. Wadsworth still wanted to attend the church-sponsored school. So he paid his own way to Provo, aware that he would be ineligible from playing football for the entire 2012 season and he'd be ineligible to receive a football scholarship because he didn't get a release.
But he came anyway. By 2013, Wadsworth had walked on to the team and played in 13 games, tallying six tackles. More of the same in 2014.
By summer 2015, the 6-foot-1 senior defensive back was ready to force his way onto the field and make an impact.
He did just that Saturday night in the Cougars' home opener against Boise State.
Wadsworth tallied a career-high 11 tackles, including seven solo tackles and a tackle for loss, in the Cougars' 35-24 upset over the No. 20 Broncos in front of a sold-out crowd of 63,470 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Not bad for a guy who learned he would be starting the night before the game.
"It was fun," Wadsworth told reporters after the game, grinning from ear to ear. "I was nervous at the beginning, I'm not going to lie. Just building up to this moment, I've been waiting for a long time.
"But I was grateful for the opportunity, and a lot of plays came my way that I was blessed to be able to make. I'm happy for it."
Wadsworth connected with fellow defensive back Kai Nacua, who starred for BYU's defense in the win with his school-record-tying three interceptions, including a 50-yard pick-six to seal the game with 30 seconds remaining.
Rather than be jealous of the fellow Las Vegas-area prep standout, Wadsworth was happy for a good friend. When Nacua wandered into the postgame media area late, Wadsworth shouted "My boy!" at the straggler, and Nacua responded "Wads!" right back.
"I love Kai. He brings a different energy to the team," Wadsworth said. "I just love playing with him. He's a playmaker, and you saw that tonight. He commands the field, and he's a great guy on and off the field. I have a really good relationship with him."
Wadsworth said Nacua has taken the reins of leadership over a young BYU defense, and the two-year starter showed his grasp of the Cougars' defensive scheme. On a night when the BYU defense was making plays all over the field — from linebacker Harvey Langi's first two-sack game of his career to defensive end Bronson Kaufusi's play with six tackles and a tackle for loss — Nacua directed his defense while also picking up five tackles, three interceptions and a pass breakup.
But playing with his good friend Wadsworth, who prepped at a league rival high school three years before Nacua graduated from Liberty High, was a moment to savor.
"He was out there, and we were just talking so much," Nacua said of Wadsworth. "Some plays, I'd forget the call and he'd tell me the play. He was out there making plays. A great tackler and a great guy to cover a receiver, too. I'm surprised he didn't get a pick."
Nacua said he tried to "share the love" with his other defensive backs. But he leaned back and looked at Wadsworth when asked if he'd let his friend have an interception later in the season.
"How about that?" Nacua asked Wadsworth, before responding with a grin, "OK, we'll split it."
It was fun. I was nervous at the beginning, I'm not going to lie. Just building up to this moment, I've been waiting for a long time. But I was grateful for the opportunity, and a lot of plays came my way that I was blessed to be able to make. I'm happy for it.
–BYU defensive back Michael Wadsworth
Freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum threw for 309 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 17-of-28 passing for BYU, and he slipped in the game-winning touchdown on a 35-yard pass to Mitch Juergens with 45 seconds to play.
But the BYU defense stole the show in the wee hours of Saturday night, and Nacua played his fair role both on the field and in the postgame celebrations.
"It's great to have Kai Nacua back. He changed the game," said BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall, who suspended Nacua for the opener at Nebraska for his role in an altercation following the team's loss to Memphis in the Miami Beach Bowl. "The range he covers and the plays he makes, that's really who he is. I'm really excited for him regarding all the scrutiny he's been under.
"For him to be able to come out and play that way, it's fitting. It shows who he is and how he's worked so hard to be back on our team."
Nacua is OK that Mangum, Juergens and the offense get the credit for the win. After all, that's part of the job of BYU's starting quarterback. The 6-foot-1 safety was among the first players out on the field celebrating Juergens' final-minute score, extending his arms like an airplane and buzzing around the field as teammates mobbed the freshman quarterback.
"I love Tanner. I think he can sling that thing and do whatever he wants," Nacua said. "The team needs to show him that. Taysom went down, and it was heartbreaking. But Tanner came in, stepped up, and he's done great. We love Tanner."
And then Nacua will step on the field and do his job — which also happens to be a pretty big deal.
"I just try to be a dude that everyone can talk to. I try not to judge, try to talk to everyone, accept everyone and have fun with it," Nacua said. "I think I can smile with anyone on the team and have a good time with them. I just try to be a friend and a brother."
