From Deseret News archives:
Y. offensive line needs a nickname
But the week after BYU's offense rushed for more than 300 and passed for nearly 400 yards against Air Force, it is hard to place a label on these guys. Except maybe "effective." Saturday marked the first time in 16 years that a Cougar offense produced a 300-300 game, dating back to a 70-31 win over Utah in Provo.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae said he'd leave such identification up to offensive line coach Jeff Grimes. And Grimes said he's always called offensive linemen "the hogs," or "the big hogs up front," a generic group name he's always used in the business. Quarterback John Beck couldn't think of anything, although he praised them. Same with halfback Curtis Brown, who did say they could be called a beast of some kind, plural usage, of course.
Junior tackle Jake Kuresa, whom Beck calls the "Cache Valley Killer," said he didn't have anything to offer, although he'd welcome suggestions and have the team vote on the top five. Kuresa then joked he's nicknamed freshman Terrance Brown "Safety" because when shooting rabbits this past summer, he always left the safety on.
The only Cougar lineman who has an established nickname that's respected and stuck like funeral potatoes is senior Brian Sanders. It is Sanders who has played for three head coaches (LaVell Edwards, Gary Crowton and Bronco Mendenhall) and three offensive line position coaches (Roger French, Lance Reynolds and Jeff Grimes). When Sanders played for French, he lost his lunch at practice one day, and French told him that wouldn't happen if he hadn't eaten the whole lunch room.
To this day, Sanders is nicknamed "Lunch Room," or "Lunch" for short.
After Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said BYU's linemen were typical Cougars, 30 years old and 400 pounds, Sanders cracked up his teammates in the third quarter last week when, exhausted, he sat on the bench and said, "I'm one tired, 30-year-old 400-pounder."
When asked what was something he'd most like to see, he replied: "My ribs." Going off this, perhaps the Cougar offensive line could be called "The Cafeteria." The regulars average 23.2 years of age and all are over 300 pounds.
Two of the big surprises are mission-bound Terrance Brown and Dallas Reynolds, who was on a mission to Seattle last winter. Anae said the 6-4, 345-pound Reynolds has stepped in and is driving would-be tacklers. "He's got a nasty streak in him. Nice guy off the field, but on the field, he can move people around."
