BYU players kick off fall camp

PROVO — BYU opened fall camp by dawn's early light Saturday, as the Cougars arose at around 6 a.m. to run up Y. Mountain, hours before officially starting their first practice session that afternoon.

It was a fitting beginning to the 2007 football season, with BYU climbing a mountain before preparing to climb another — defending its Mountain West Conference championship.

"Some of us were a little sluggish today," starting quarterback Max Hall admitted, remembering the early morning hike. "But we did a lot of good things on the field. The receivers and running backs made plays and I'm very, very confident in the offensive line. A lot of good things happened today, but there's a lot of things we need to work on."

At practice, large posters of last year's leaders who are now gone — quarterback John Beck, linebacker Cameron Jensen, running back Curtis Brown and tight end Jonny Harline — were draped from the balcony of the Student Athlete Center that overlooks the practice facility. Conspicuous images of those players who guided the Cougars to an 11-2 record in 2006 serve a couple of vital purposes, Hall said.

"We want to have a great program. That comes with consistency year after year after year of winning championships," Hall explained. "Last year was an awesome team and (the gallery of photos) reminds us of all the success they had, but that also reminds us that we're not going to settle for anything. We want to get better every year and bring back the dynasty that BYU was before."

"One of the main things Coach (Bronco) Mendenhall has established is the return to glory," said senior linebacker Bryan Kehl. "If you look back at the glory days of BYU football, that's what they did. They had one prolific offense after the next. Each year, great players left and a new selection was inserted, or reloaded. That's what we're trying to do. These guys have the potential to do that. (Tight end) Dennis Pitta, Max Hall and (wide receiver) Austin Collie will lead the way."

Due to his high-profile position, Hall was on everybody's radar screen Saturday, including the assemblage of players' families and friends that watched practice.

Mendenhall liked what he saw from Hall. "Max did a nice job. He's right on track," he said. "How the team performs, that's reflective of Max's leadership through the summer. They did well today."

Of course, there are, and will be, inevitable comparisons between Hall and Beck, his predecessor. But Kehl says Hall, who has yet to take a snap in a Division I game, can measure up. "He has the same potential — and that is to win games and lead our offense and score points," Kehl said.