"It wasn't always my dream to play at BYU, but I was hopeful," Mendenhall recalls. "But I wasn't good enough. I was on a mission to prove that I was good enough."

Only one school offered him a football scholarship - Snow Junior College in Ephraim. Then-Badger coach Walt Criner met with Mendenhall at Knight's house. After that first meeting Criner told Knight, "That's the kid I want. That's the kid that's going to make a difference in Snow football."

Mendenhall enjoyed an impressive career in Ephraim. As a sophomore captain and two-year starter at cornerback, he helped lead the Badgers to the 1985 JUCO national championship. Current BYU assistant coach Paul Tidwell was the defensive coordinator at Snow at that time. "I remember he was the only cornerback who wore a neck roll," Tidwell says, chuckling. "He liked to hit, I guess. He was a quiet leader. On weekends, he'd stay on campus and work out. He did extra lifting. He was the type of player you never had to worry about."

After he finished his career at Snow, Mendenhall received a number of scholarship offers. But, once again, none came from BYU. Rejected for a second time by the Cougars, Mendenhall chose to sign with Oregon State.

"One of my deciding factors in choosing Oregon State was that they were going to play BYU," Bronco says. "I had something to prove."

Sure enough, on Nov. 15, 1986, the Beavers came to Provo and handed the Cougars a 10-7 loss, with Mendenhall starting at safety. "That's one of the highlights of my career," he says. "After the game, I remember lying spread-eagle, on my back, at the 50-yard-line at Cougar Stadium. I felt like there was justice in the world. It was gratifying for me, because BYU was the measuring stick. My hope is to return the program to be just that. If you beat BYU, it's a huge thing and quite an accomplishment."

Bronco experienced a similar, euphoric feeling in 2002, when, as New Mexico's defensive coordinator, the Lobos beat the Cougars in Provo for the first time in 31 years.

Paul can laugh now about his son being overlooked by BYU. "I always kid LaVell (Edwards) about that," he says. "I don't let him forget it."

Bronco had never planned on a coaching career, though he earned a degree in physical education from OSU. He was so focused on going to the NFL that he didn't bother considering other options.

"It never crossed my mind that I wouldn't," he says. "I tried hard and it meant a lot to me, I was fully invested, but, looking back, I wasn't a good enough player."