BYU took more than just a QB
Brad Rock
Never mind that Utah State, just 125 miles north, had the same color. Then-BYU president Merrill Bateman insisted they were different, and that BYU's new uniforms were the "darkest shade of royal blue."
But as far as USU fans were concerned, it was still Aggie blue and the move was unmitigated theft.
In which case it looks like the stealing may not be over.
News broke Monday that former Aggie quarterback Riley Nelson, now on an LDS mission in Spain, will transfer to BYU. Just what the Aggies need: six wins in three years, and their future quarterback goes south.
USU may want to beef up security at Old Main.
The Cougars could be coming for that, too.
There was nothing illegal about the transfer. BYU didn't recruit Nelson on his mission, which coach Bronco Mendenhall steadfastly insists he won't do with any player. But once Nelson and his representatives initiated the contact, BYU was within its rights — and NCAA rules — to respond.
Thing is, Nelson represented something important. Raised in Logan, he was Big Blue right down to his mitochondria. His father played football at USU, and his grandfather is Rod Tueller, former Aggie basketball coach and athletic director.
Nelson is the kind of player that engenders loyalty from both fans and teammates. Articulate, likable and competitive, he plays a bit like (here come the comparisons) former BYU quarterback Jim McMahon. He's a fiery, upbeat, fearless guy.
As a freshman in 2006, he set a single-game record for passing percentage, completing 21-of-24 against San Jose State. He ended that season with 874 yards passing and another 277 rushing.
A Parade All-American, Nelson rushed and passed for 84 touchdowns as a senior in high school.
That's not to say he would necessarily have taken Utah State to prominence. It has been decades since USU's football team was consistently respectable. Though Nelson did some impressive things, including a win in his first-ever start, it was USU'S only victory that season. In four games later that year, USU scored 14, 10, 0 and 10 points. That wasn't all Nelson's fault. But he was there.
So at this point it's still largely about perceptions. And the perception is that Utah State has lost a star.
USU has had several fine quarterbacks, including Eric Hipple, who started 57 games in the NFL; Bob Gagliano, who played in Kansas City, San Francisco, Detroit and San Diego; and Anthony Calvillo, who became a star in the CFL.
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