Cougars of yore like what they see

In the daytime session, Mendenhall apparently shared his game plan and did so with passion. Like a gifted financial planner, he closed the deal using PowerPoint and graphics. He had tears in his eyes as he pointed to the direction and expectation of those who'd inherit BYU football from now on.

"I was ready to suit up," said former offensive lineman Kelly Harris ('77).

"It has to work and it can work because it's what BYU has to do," Bybee said.

"It's gotta work," Hoke said. "There are guys who come here who don't have any idea of what's expected of them and unfortunately you sometimes lose them and that doesn't do them or the school any good. He wants to get people here that fit and he's raised the spirituality bar and I think it's good people know up front what's expected of them and for those who can't live it, then they should be somewhere else."

For the second year, some challenged Mendenhall over possibly passing over non-LDS recruits who actually benefited from the BYU experience, guys like BYU's own AD Tom Holmoe.

Mendenhall said his staff recruited 15 non-LDS athletes this past year. One signed. There were 13 who refused to take up an offer for an official recruiting visit. Of the 99 football players on the roster, 66 have served LDS missions and 31 are currently on missions. Mendenhall put a display out of where the 31 were living right now and it was a global smattering from every continent in the world.

"He believes what he's selling, it's not just talk," said Harris, who is not LDS. "Absolutely it will work. It's very motivating and he's done more to bring former athletes back into the program than anybody, ever. He was convincing. He fired me up. I was ready to go in. Put me in, coach."

Drage, who remains one of BYU's all-time reception leaders, agreed. "If everybody buys into what he's preaching then yeah, absolutely. It sure seems like they buy into it. I don't think you can fool him. He fires me up every time I talk to him."

Drage said he was fired up when he interviewed as a receiver coach. "Robert Anae was in the interview and left for a minute and I told Bronco how great the facilities were. He just sort of went off. He looked at me as serious as could be and started ranting that the kids thought they were entitled to something because of the facilities and they think they don't have to work hard. He was almost yelling at me. I got fired up just listening to him, he gets me going."

Last year, this gathering fit in the team room near Mendenhall's office. This year it packed the Cougar Room shoulder to shoulder. "We'll have to find a new place, perhaps the Marriott Center next year, " said Paul Gustavson ('73).

He may have a point.

---

E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com