Round 13 Recap
13.1 Nick Kurtz (drafted by Jay Drew)
Between costing Tom Brady a Super Bowl and trying to bash on my church, Wes Welker made himself quite the enemy of this blog in the early 2010s. When he tried to talk Nick Kurtz out of attending BYU I was in quite a pessimistic state of life -- I knew it would work. Who wouldn't believe a NFL pro-bowler who apparently had a very detailed list of reasons not to attend BYU?
@WesWelker it's a good place man!— Nick Kurtz (@TheKurtzWay) June 8, 2013
You'll never believe this but when Nick shot Wes down and came to BYU, we fell in love. When his first game resulted in 123 yards receiving and one long bomb from Taysom, we moved in together. And then just as the wedding plans were in motion Kurtz broke up with us. After raising our hopes to the sky against Nebraska, he averaged 39 yards per game for the remaining 25 games of his career. He teased us with a highlight reel here and there, but the bonds were forever broken.
I saw him in person at a coaches show -- in which I won a signed football from Kalani for answering a Max Hall trivia question11. As the premier defender of Max Hall, I would have it no other way. -- and it was there I saw the potential power of Kalani. The year was 2016 and BYU's record was 1-3. Kurtz had known Kalani for only 4 games. And yet you could see in Kurtz's body language and comments all the love and respect he had for his coach.
Here were two guys who had known each other for less than a year and they seemed like they were kindergarten snack buddies. When Kurtz detailed his confidence in Kalani, I believed him. When Kalani detailed his confidence in the team, I believed him. When Kalani explained his plan and vision for the program, I felt like BYU was 6-0 and ranked 18th in the country.
Whatever that magic is, that ability to make people feel stuff; if Kalani ever combines it with a strategy that makes sense, we could be onto something.
Unfortunately he and his staff thought it'd be a good idea to drop eleven defenders into coverage against the best rushing team on our schedule last year, so yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath for any "strategy that makes sense" to come from this coaching crew anytime soon.
13.2 Skipped (BRoyalBlueCoug)
After the shocking John Beck pick, order is restored.
13.3 David Nixon (drafted by Cousin Newt)
Nixon was one of the first guys I remember who starred as a freshman and then disappeared into the land of missions. Nowadays, as a jaded old man who has lived through some lean years of BYU football, I confess I feel a guilty pang of "ah dang it" when I hear a star player is headed to serve the Lord. (see Dallin "Hulkamania" Holker, for example)
But back when I was a youngster contemplating my own mission service, I can't tell you what an impression it left on me to see a true freshman who was 4th on the team in tackles and 3rd in sacks say, "Well, that was a fun season, and sure I know I've worked my whole life to get to this point, but let's put it on pause for a couple years so I can go preach some gospel."
Nixon played in the Coliseum that year! He played in South Bend! He earned Bronco's trust. And then he gave it up.
That made me want to serve, too. So thanks David Nixon. Take a bow Dallin Holker. You guys are doing a cool thing.
13.4 Matt Odle (Drafted by Tax Commissioner Danny)
If it weren't for BRoyalCoug this would have never happened. In a world with no BRoyal, Tax Man Dan happily selects James Dye back in the third round and doesn't have to scoop the bottom of the barrel for a receiver in round 13, and more importantly, I don't have to come up with a paragraph or two of things to say about Matt Odle.
Fortunately Matt Odle's 20 career catches is 6 more than his dad's 14.
Unfortunately the 14 catches we're referring to came in one contest. His dad had 169 catchs in his other 29 games.
Poor Matt. His father, he was not.
13.5 Romney Fuga (drafted by me)
I prioritized offense in the early rounds and faced the fallout here in round 13, a space where all the legends of defensive linedom were long gone. Romney Fuga seemed the best available building block, a player who Bronco at times called the most important player on the renowned 2012 defense. Nose tackles in a 3-4 scheme don't generate a lot of highlights, but according to Bronco, they deserve our praise.
"The spotlight — while it keeps going around to other players, the one place it isn't going is at the nose where (the play) is the most important in a 3-4 defense."
13.6 Marc Wilson (drafted by Odyseuss)
Ohhh it's a shocker in the last round! As mentioned yesterday, I was certain Odyseuss was planning to grab John Beck with the final quarterback selection. That's because I foolishly thought of Marc Wilson as more or less the "guy before McMahon".
That was a mistake. Marc Wilson's accolades are as follows:
- Sammy Baugh trophy winner
- Set 9 NCAA records
- Tied 2 NCAA records
- First round NFL draft pick
- Finished 3rd in '79 Heisman voting
- 1st team All-American
- Member of the college football hall of fame
- Threw for 7 TDs in a game (his first start, lol)
- Gave Utah a 5 TD, 571-yard spanking
- Delivered an 11-1 record as a senior
Without having ever seen him play, his stat lines give off a very Russel Westbrooky vibe in the sense that he did a lot of good but he also harmed the team at times. One game he threw for 7 TDs; the next he threw 6 picks. After his 5 TD showing against Utah, his next game was a 3 interception affair against ASU, from which he rebounded with a 4 TD the next game, which he then followed with two picks in the next game.
It is a lot of interceptions, 47 in 32 games.
But if that's the cost of doing business, the return on investment was worthwhile. Marc Wilson wasn't just the guy before McMahon.
On the topic of BYU QBs, Odyseuss threw this intriguing question into the flames of Cougarboard. Which of the below listed QBs would you exclude from the top-10 all-time at BYU?22. Inherent in the question is the idea that Young, Detmer, Bosco, and McMahon are obviously guaranteed spots in any QB top-10. I'd make a push that Hall belongs as the 5th guarantee but you already knew that.
After much more stewing than I expected, I voted for Hill. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.
13.7 Chris Hoke (drafted by Brian Henderson, he who once helped me get a ticket to the 59-0 UCLA game)
I have no significant memories of Chris Hoke so I did some internet digging. I'm glad I did. He explained what playing for BYU meant to him. I've felt the fan equivalent of this, the minor league tears and chills, but to read what it's like from someone who actually did what I've only experienced in video games and backyards is powerful.
I hope his son has the same passion.
13.8 O'Neill Chambers (drafted by Andrew Metcalf)
Say it with me one more time: Bruthaaaaaa Chaaaaaambers!! What a wonderful turn of events with three picks remaining. When BRoyal bowed out of the draft I thought our chances of seeing O'Neill on any rosters was dead. Andrew saves the day!
Before we make fun of Chambers for fumbling on the goal line against Oklahoma and Florida State or promising kick returns that he never delivered, I am duty bound to remind you of four facts.
1) Although he never returned the promised kickoff for a TD, he came as close as you possibly can against UNLV.
2) He's in the BYU history books! It's not a great record -- his 69 career kickoff returns are the most in history -- but it's something!
3) In the October 2008 BYU-USU matchup, BYU was perceived to be so dominant and USU so meager that the USU fans were rejoicing in only being down 34 to 0 in the fourth quarter. I promise that's true. I was there. I wrote about it 12 years ago.
During one timeout, the USU student section was yelling out the, "Over-rated, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap" chant. Throughout the entire thing, O'Neill Chambers was standing on the field, clapping when the students clapped, and mimicking a talking mouth with both his hands during the "overrated" part. It was amazing. It's one of three times I can readily think of where a player has egged on the opposing fan base, the other two being Austin Collie roiling up the Utes33. I forgot Chambers was standing next to Collie for that episode! Maybe that's where Chambers learned the cockiness. I wish more of our players had it. and Kyle Van Noy making fun of someone wearing glasses.
4) This one actually matters. The last time we beat Utah O'Neill Chambers was the turning point. When Chambers returned that punt to the 6-yard line late in the first half, BYU was awry on offense having only scored three points. After the Chambers punt return the lid came off the basket and BYU scored 17 in a row.
O'Neill never combined with Ross Apo and Jake Heaps for what I hoped would be BYU's equivalent of the '92 Dream Team ... but he helped us beat Utah and in this sad era where that doesn't happen much, I'll remain forever grateful to O'Neill.
13.9 Travis Tuiloma (drafted by Devon “Lasersheep” Smith)
Writing about defensive lineman is hard. Writing about gap-plugging defensive lineman that rarely make plays for amateurs like myself to notice is even harder.
Fortunately Travis tried to get creative in his BYU profile and mentioned that along with being recruited by the Kansases (Kansasii?) he "likes being classy." I've now read close to 130 BYU profiles and I can tell you that while this is a thought provoking attribute to throw into your personal bio -- in what setting did this classiness manifest? The field? In school? On dates? -- it pales in comparison to the greatest of all profile mentions.
Let us gather now and pay tribute once more to the departed Ului Lapuaho, who sadly we had to leave out of this draft due to my rule of not drafting offensive lineman or special teamers. What did he list as his favorite food on his profile?
Ah yes. HORSE MEAT.
13.10 Jack Damuni (drafted by Magathisll)
When it comes to the volume tweeters of recent BYU history, there are three. Hype specialist Jack Damuni, former wide receiver coach Guy Holliday, and former running back coach AJ Seward.
They each had, shall we say, some quirks?
AJ Seward capitalized the first letter of every word he tweeted, but I didn't mind too much cause overall I liked his messages.
Guy Holliday misspelled just about everything, while letting rouge capitalizations run amock, but overall I didn't mind too much cause I found his messages entertaining.
Jack Damuni mostly avoids grammatical errors -- good job, good effort! -- but his content is woof. His tweets are annoying enough that he could probably get a job on the Bachelor tomorrow if he wanted to.
Related: Jack Damuni is now one of our recruiting directors. This seems like it could be a problem.
Hopefully my own message through 13 rounds has been entertaining or well received, despite my own host of grammar fails and tendency to go on unwieldy tangents while thinking of specific players.
That message is this, now and always, for I don't just bleed blue, I poo blue too: Go Cougs.
Parting Thoughts from Round 13
Thought #1
To my fellow draftees, thanks for joining me in this draft. And congratulations! You all passed the test! Not a one of us drafted Kyle Whittingham.
Thought #2
We're not 100% done just yet. I'll plan to get some team recaps/draft grades published in the coming days.
Thought #3
It's kind of amazing how many excellent players we've had through the years. Lots of them I knew about already. Lots of them I didn't! It was awesome studying up on some of the lesser knowns from the 80s and 90s. Without being too sappy, I feel lucky to cheer for a team that has given me this many good memories.
Thanks for making this possible big guy.
After the shocking John Beck pick, order is restored.
13.3 David Nixon (drafted by Cousin Newt)
Nixon was one of the first guys I remember who starred as a freshman and then disappeared into the land of missions. Nowadays, as a jaded old man who has lived through some lean years of BYU football, I confess I feel a guilty pang of "ah dang it" when I hear a star player is headed to serve the Lord. (see Dallin "Hulkamania" Holker, for example)
But back when I was a youngster contemplating my own mission service, I can't tell you what an impression it left on me to see a true freshman who was 4th on the team in tackles and 3rd in sacks say, "Well, that was a fun season, and sure I know I've worked my whole life to get to this point, but let's put it on pause for a couple years so I can go preach some gospel."
Nixon played in the Coliseum that year! He played in South Bend! He earned Bronco's trust. And then he gave it up.
That made me want to serve, too. So thanks David Nixon. Take a bow Dallin Holker. You guys are doing a cool thing.
13.4 Matt Odle (Drafted by Tax Commissioner Danny)
If it weren't for BRoyalCoug this would have never happened. In a world with no BRoyal, Tax Man Dan happily selects James Dye back in the third round and doesn't have to scoop the bottom of the barrel for a receiver in round 13, and more importantly, I don't have to come up with a paragraph or two of things to say about Matt Odle.
Fortunately Matt Odle's 20 career catches is 6 more than his dad's 14.
Unfortunately the 14 catches we're referring to came in one contest. His dad had 169 catchs in his other 29 games.
Poor Matt. His father, he was not.
13.5 Romney Fuga (drafted by me)
I prioritized offense in the early rounds and faced the fallout here in round 13, a space where all the legends of defensive linedom were long gone. Romney Fuga seemed the best available building block, a player who Bronco at times called the most important player on the renowned 2012 defense. Nose tackles in a 3-4 scheme don't generate a lot of highlights, but according to Bronco, they deserve our praise.
"The spotlight — while it keeps going around to other players, the one place it isn't going is at the nose where (the play) is the most important in a 3-4 defense."
Which is why I was surprised to see Fuga with 131 career tackles. Not bad for a guy whose primary job was to simply occupy blockers and create opportunities for others. I would've been happy for Fuga if all he managed at BYU was to recover from that brutal Nevada cheap shot. But to recover and become a dominating presence? I'll take that type of player in round 13 any day.
13.6 Marc Wilson (drafted by Odyseuss)
Ohhh it's a shocker in the last round! As mentioned yesterday, I was certain Odyseuss was planning to grab John Beck with the final quarterback selection. That's because I foolishly thought of Marc Wilson as more or less the "guy before McMahon".
That was a mistake. Marc Wilson's accolades are as follows:
- Sammy Baugh trophy winner
- Set 9 NCAA records
- Tied 2 NCAA records
- First round NFL draft pick
- Finished 3rd in '79 Heisman voting
- 1st team All-American
- Member of the college football hall of fame
- Threw for 7 TDs in a game (his first start, lol)
- Gave Utah a 5 TD, 571-yard spanking
- Delivered an 11-1 record as a senior
Without having ever seen him play, his stat lines give off a very Russel Westbrooky vibe in the sense that he did a lot of good but he also harmed the team at times. One game he threw for 7 TDs; the next he threw 6 picks. After his 5 TD showing against Utah, his next game was a 3 interception affair against ASU, from which he rebounded with a 4 TD the next game, which he then followed with two picks in the next game.
It is a lot of interceptions, 47 in 32 games.
But if that's the cost of doing business, the return on investment was worthwhile. Marc Wilson wasn't just the guy before McMahon.
On the topic of BYU QBs, Odyseuss threw this intriguing question into the flames of Cougarboard. Which of the below listed QBs would you exclude from the top-10 all-time at BYU?22. Inherent in the question is the idea that Young, Detmer, Bosco, and McMahon are obviously guaranteed spots in any QB top-10. I'd make a push that Hall belongs as the 5th guarantee but you already knew that.
After much more stewing than I expected, I voted for Hill. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.
13.7 Chris Hoke (drafted by Brian Henderson, he who once helped me get a ticket to the 59-0 UCLA game)
I have no significant memories of Chris Hoke so I did some internet digging. I'm glad I did. He explained what playing for BYU meant to him. I've felt the fan equivalent of this, the minor league tears and chills, but to read what it's like from someone who actually did what I've only experienced in video games and backyards is powerful.
I hope his son has the same passion.
13.8 O'Neill Chambers (drafted by Andrew Metcalf)
Say it with me one more time: Bruthaaaaaa Chaaaaaambers!! What a wonderful turn of events with three picks remaining. When BRoyal bowed out of the draft I thought our chances of seeing O'Neill on any rosters was dead. Andrew saves the day!
Before we make fun of Chambers for fumbling on the goal line against Oklahoma and Florida State or promising kick returns that he never delivered, I am duty bound to remind you of four facts.
1) Although he never returned the promised kickoff for a TD, he came as close as you possibly can against UNLV.
2) He's in the BYU history books! It's not a great record -- his 69 career kickoff returns are the most in history -- but it's something!
3) In the October 2008 BYU-USU matchup, BYU was perceived to be so dominant and USU so meager that the USU fans were rejoicing in only being down 34 to 0 in the fourth quarter. I promise that's true. I was there. I wrote about it 12 years ago.
During one timeout, the USU student section was yelling out the, "Over-rated, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap" chant. Throughout the entire thing, O'Neill Chambers was standing on the field, clapping when the students clapped, and mimicking a talking mouth with both his hands during the "overrated" part. It was amazing. It's one of three times I can readily think of where a player has egged on the opposing fan base, the other two being Austin Collie roiling up the Utes33. I forgot Chambers was standing next to Collie for that episode! Maybe that's where Chambers learned the cockiness. I wish more of our players had it. and Kyle Van Noy making fun of someone wearing glasses.
4) This one actually matters. The last time we beat Utah O'Neill Chambers was the turning point. When Chambers returned that punt to the 6-yard line late in the first half, BYU was awry on offense having only scored three points. After the Chambers punt return the lid came off the basket and BYU scored 17 in a row.
O'Neill never combined with Ross Apo and Jake Heaps for what I hoped would be BYU's equivalent of the '92 Dream Team ... but he helped us beat Utah and in this sad era where that doesn't happen much, I'll remain forever grateful to O'Neill.
13.9 Travis Tuiloma (drafted by Devon “Lasersheep” Smith)
Writing about defensive lineman is hard. Writing about gap-plugging defensive lineman that rarely make plays for amateurs like myself to notice is even harder.
Fortunately Travis tried to get creative in his BYU profile and mentioned that along with being recruited by the Kansases (Kansasii?) he "likes being classy." I've now read close to 130 BYU profiles and I can tell you that while this is a thought provoking attribute to throw into your personal bio -- in what setting did this classiness manifest? The field? In school? On dates? -- it pales in comparison to the greatest of all profile mentions.
Let us gather now and pay tribute once more to the departed Ului Lapuaho, who sadly we had to leave out of this draft due to my rule of not drafting offensive lineman or special teamers. What did he list as his favorite food on his profile?
Ah yes. HORSE MEAT.
13.10 Jack Damuni (drafted by Magathisll)
When it comes to the volume tweeters of recent BYU history, there are three. Hype specialist Jack Damuni, former wide receiver coach Guy Holliday, and former running back coach AJ Seward.
They each had, shall we say, some quirks?
AJ Seward capitalized the first letter of every word he tweeted, but I didn't mind too much cause overall I liked his messages.
Guy Holliday misspelled just about everything, while letting rouge capitalizations run amock, but overall I didn't mind too much cause I found his messages entertaining.
Jack Damuni mostly avoids grammatical errors -- good job, good effort! -- but his content is woof. His tweets are annoying enough that he could probably get a job on the Bachelor tomorrow if he wanted to.
Related: Jack Damuni is now one of our recruiting directors. This seems like it could be a problem.
Hopefully my own message through 13 rounds has been entertaining or well received, despite my own host of grammar fails and tendency to go on unwieldy tangents while thinking of specific players.
That message is this, now and always, for I don't just bleed blue, I poo blue too: Go Cougs.
Parting Thoughts from Round 13
Thought #1
To my fellow draftees, thanks for joining me in this draft. And congratulations! You all passed the test! Not a one of us drafted Kyle Whittingham.
Thought #2
We're not 100% done just yet. I'll plan to get some team recaps/draft grades published in the coming days.
Thought #3
It's kind of amazing how many excellent players we've had through the years. Lots of them I knew about already. Lots of them I didn't! It was awesome studying up on some of the lesser knowns from the 80s and 90s. Without being too sappy, I feel lucky to cheer for a team that has given me this many good memories.
Thanks for making this possible big guy.
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