Top 10 Ty Detmer Moments: #9–BYU retires Detmer’s Jersey

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The Brigham Young Cougars have had approximately 1,600 players letter in football. BYU has had 188 players earn first-team all-conference honors. The NFL has drafted 132 BYU Cougars (update for 2010 draft). There are 41 former Cougars who were named All-American. Twelve football players are recipients of a major national award (i.e. Heisman Trophy, Outland Trophy, Doak Walker Award). Only 5 players have had their jerseys retired.

Ty Detmer is one of them.

On September 1, 2007, BYU held a special ceremony during halftime of the season opener against Arizona. This ceremony was to retire the number 14 jersey worn by Detmer from 1988-91 (and Gifford Nielsen, 1975-77). Detmer’s name and number will forever hang high in LaVell Edwards Stadium as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, football players in a program that has churned out some of the best football players in the world for nearly four decades.

Of the 5 players with their jerseys retired, the amount of time that passed since Detmer’s final game and the time his jersey was retired is the shortest—15 years 8 months. (One of the requirements is that 15 years must have passed since a student-athlete’s BYU athletic career concluded.)

Elder M. Russell Ballard from the BYU Board of Trustees was the master of ceremonies. BYU President Elder Cecil O. Samuelson, BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe, and former BYU football coach LaVell Edwards were all present. They all praised Detmer for being an example that BYU could be proud of both on and off of the gridiron.

Detmer was his normal, down-to-earth self. He recognized his wife, family, teammates, coaches and the fans as essential contributors to his great success.

This event makes the list because it is the highest honor a team can bestow on a former player. It also represented the capstone on his playing career. His eligibility is long exhausted, and no future honor of Detmer’s achievements can do more to solidify his place as one of BYU’s greatest.

Ty’s Take
It was pretty special to have your name go up on the stadium and to be able to share it with Gifford Nielsen. He keeps reminding me he was the original number 14. It was a great weekend, great for my parents to be able to be up there. They didn’t get to come to a lot of my games because my dad was coaching, and living in Texas it was hard to get up there. It was special for them to have the opportunity to come up and see the appreciation that the fans had, and kind of what I had been able to experience my whole career there.

10. The Essence of Ty Detmer
9. BYU Retires Ty Detmer's Jersey
8. Down, But Never Out
7. Unstoppable and Unprecedented
6. First Career Start
5. Final Home Game
4. Winning The Starting Quarterback Job
3. Joining the BYU Quarterback Club
2. Beating the Best--#1 Miami
1. Winning the Heisman Trophy

The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com

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