In recent years, the Brigham Young Cougars have had special halftime ceremonies at a home football game fairly regularly. Some of the more recent ones have been:
2010--Quarterback Weekend honoring former All-American Quarterbacks.
2009--The 1984 National Championship team was honored during the 25th anniversary season.
2007--Gifford Nielsen and Ty Detmer had their jerseys retired.
I don’t remember one for 2008, and after extensive research I still can’t find a home game that had a special halftime ceremony.
What about 2011? BYU has several players and teams that could be honored this season.
Luke Staley—It has been 10 years since Luke Staley won the Doak Walker Award after he exploded for 1,582 yards rushing (8.1 yards per carry) and 28 touchdowns (24 rushing, 4 receiving).
The 1996 team—This team was the last truly great BYU football team, and probably the second best ever. They set an NCAA record for most wins in a season (14), they played in (and won) BYU’s first ever January bowl game (Cotton), and they finished with the second highest national ranking in BYU history (5).
Jason Buck—Buck was the first BYU player to win the Outland Trophy 25 years ago (1986). The Ricks College transfer had 12.5 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss to go with 59 total tackles that season. He finished his career with the third most sacks in a career, and the BYU record for most sacks in a game (4 vs. Oregon State, 1986).
Jim McMahon—There are rumblings that McMahon is trying to finish up his degree and qualify for the BYU Athletics Hall of Fame. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of his senior season. A surprise announcement and halftime ceremony to honor him as a Hall of Fame inductee could be in the works.
While each of these is worthy of a special halftime ceremony, the one I would like to see the most is Jason Buck. BYU’s defensive accomplishments are largely unheralded. Buck represents several BYU defensive stars who have gone on and excelled in the NFL, and who deserve a lot of credit for BYU winning 10, 11, 12, or more games several times. If BYU wants to continue to build a dominating defense, and sign more top defensive recruits, then BYU needs to illuminate the great accomplishments of guys like Buck.
Back in 1986, the Outland Trophy Award winner was announced November 29. BYU has a home game scheduled against New Mexico State on November 19, 2011. That might be the most appropriate game to honor Buck making it as close to the actual date the event occurred.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
2010--Quarterback Weekend honoring former All-American Quarterbacks.
2009--The 1984 National Championship team was honored during the 25th anniversary season.
2007--Gifford Nielsen and Ty Detmer had their jerseys retired.
I don’t remember one for 2008, and after extensive research I still can’t find a home game that had a special halftime ceremony.
What about 2011? BYU has several players and teams that could be honored this season.
Luke Staley—It has been 10 years since Luke Staley won the Doak Walker Award after he exploded for 1,582 yards rushing (8.1 yards per carry) and 28 touchdowns (24 rushing, 4 receiving).
The 1996 team—This team was the last truly great BYU football team, and probably the second best ever. They set an NCAA record for most wins in a season (14), they played in (and won) BYU’s first ever January bowl game (Cotton), and they finished with the second highest national ranking in BYU history (5).
Jason Buck—Buck was the first BYU player to win the Outland Trophy 25 years ago (1986). The Ricks College transfer had 12.5 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss to go with 59 total tackles that season. He finished his career with the third most sacks in a career, and the BYU record for most sacks in a game (4 vs. Oregon State, 1986).
Jim McMahon—There are rumblings that McMahon is trying to finish up his degree and qualify for the BYU Athletics Hall of Fame. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of his senior season. A surprise announcement and halftime ceremony to honor him as a Hall of Fame inductee could be in the works.
While each of these is worthy of a special halftime ceremony, the one I would like to see the most is Jason Buck. BYU’s defensive accomplishments are largely unheralded. Buck represents several BYU defensive stars who have gone on and excelled in the NFL, and who deserve a lot of credit for BYU winning 10, 11, 12, or more games several times. If BYU wants to continue to build a dominating defense, and sign more top defensive recruits, then BYU needs to illuminate the great accomplishments of guys like Buck.
Back in 1986, the Outland Trophy Award winner was announced November 29. BYU has a home game scheduled against New Mexico State on November 19, 2011. That might be the most appropriate game to honor Buck making it as close to the actual date the event occurred.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
Any of those except for Jim McMahon. I think that BYU should really cut ties with Jim McMahon, he was a great player but he is no ambasador for BYU. I have seen many times where he makes a point of bad mouthing BYU. Most recently when the Brandon Davies story was in the news, he came out and publicly criticized BYU and the Honor Code. I am grateful for what he did as a player, but I don't think that BYU should keep honoring him until he shows a little bit of respect back to the school that gave him so much!
ReplyDeleteI agree that McMahon is no ambassador for BYU, but I am not ready to cut ties with him yet. The way I see it, McMahon is trying to walk a very fine line.
ReplyDeleteHe knows and openly acknowledges that BYU gave him "so much." Whenever he is asked if he would do it again he says he would.
I also find that he does less damage than he could. Clearly, McMahon likes to be controversial. He will never completely dismiss the honor code or his other issues with BYU by saying something like, "That was a long time ago, I am not going to comment on it anymore" or, what would be even better, "I was young and immature then and wish I had done some things different in college." However, in some interviews that I have heard, he has the opportunity to throw BYU under the bus, but he constrains himself. He will give his take, but he tries to be covert and make sure he doesn't rake BYU through the mud.
A prime example of this is his most recent quote on Pro Football Talk about breaking the honor code and not getting caught by finding girls who keep their mouth shut. Many people seemed to be offended by it, but I thought he was simply stating the obvious. What he said can be applied to any violation of any rule--at school, work, or with the law of the land. If the authorities don't know what you did, and no one who knows is willing to snitch, then you can keep living a normal civilian life.
From what I see, McMahon doesn't look for opportunitites to bad mouth BYU.
Of course, the Jim McMahon idea in this article comes with a caveat--he has to do the work necessary to graduate, which could be considered showing "a little bit of respect."
my understanding of the hall of fame is that you have be a "byu light" which jim clearly is not. good dude, pretty fun, unbelievable grit - but he comes up wanting when you put his character up against the gifford nielsons of the world.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of honoring the 1996 team AND jason buck.