Award-winning: Utah the choice for many Morning News Mr. Football award recipients

Since the Deseret Morning News instituted the Mr. Football Award a decade ago, the University of Utah has had more winners go to its school than any other.

The first Mr. Football in 1997 was Highland's Morgan Scalley, who went on to become the co-Mountain West defensive player of the year in 2004.

Skyline's Bo Nagahi won the award in 1999 and became a starter in the same defensive backfield as Scalley, earning second-team all-MWC honors.

Two current Ute defenders are former Mr. Football selections who hope to follow in the footsteps of fellow Utes and Mr. Football honorees by earning all-league honors or even defensive player of the year honors.

Steve Tate won the award in 2000 after leading Skyline to the state 5A championship. He actually went up to Utah State for his freshman season before transferring to Utah after an LDS Church mission.

In 2002, Kyle Brady won the Mr. Football award after leading Tooele to the state 3A title.

Tate said winning Mr. Football "was definitely a big honor" and that when he was questioning his abilities a couple of years ago that it "helped me to believe in myself," remembering that he was named the top player in the state.

Brady said that while it was an honor to be named Mr. Football, he played for a good team, and that may have been the main reason he won the award.