LDS player finally gets a shot at BYU

PROVO — Like many BYU players, Marvin Philip is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he spent two years away from football to serve a mission.

But Philip is not a Cougar. He plays for the California Golden Bears, the team that will face BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 22.

The senior center is the anchor of the Golden Bear offensive line; a first-team all-America selection; and a two-time finalist for the Rimington Trophy, emblematic of the nation's top center.

Philip was recruited by BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe when he was the head coach at Cal from 1997-2001. It was Holmoe who talked Philip into playing for the Bears rather than for the Cougars.

"I wanted to go to a school that would be OK with me going on a two-year mission," Philip told the Oakland Tribune. "Coach Holmoe told me that I would be the first one in Cal football history to go on a mission and come back."

Holmoe knew Philip long before he started recruiting him.

"He was in my (LDS) ward when he was a little kid," Holmoe recalled. "The family moved to Sacramento. I know the family and love them a ton."

Philip arrived at Cal in 2000 and started several games as a true freshman, earning his first start three games into his career. Following that year, the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder left for a mission.

When he returned for the 2003 season, Holmoe was gone, having been forced to resign after the 2001 campaign. Late in 2003, Philip reclaimed his starting job and has had it ever since.

Philip has waited a long time for the opportunity to play against BYU. He'll finally get his shot in the Las Vegas Bowl.

"I've always had relatives on the team and I've been connected to the team since I was young," he told the Contra Costa Times.

Philip has three cousins on BYU's team — defensive lineman T.J. Sitake, running back Fahu Tahi and running back Manase Tonga.

What's more, Philip attended the same California high school, Oak Ridge High, as BYU wide receiver Zac Collie.

OTHER CAL CONNECTIONS: One of Holmoe's former assistant coaches, running backs coach Ron Gould, is still a member of the Bears' staff. Gould was the only holdover from Holmoe's administration and he has developed a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the past four seasons.