BYU football: Harvey Unga fills elder statesman role

PROVO — Nobody could have blamed BYU running back Harvey Unga for feeling a little out of place during the first few days of spring practice.

For the first time in years, he didn't have longtime teammates like quarterback Max Hall and tight Dennis Pitta around.

"It's definitely a different feel, not having Dennis or Max here," Unga said.

At the same time, though, with the influx of so many new players, it is, in a way, like the beginning of a new era.

"It's kind of refreshing seeing these new guys out here making plays, surprisingly stepping in and filling those shoes rather well," said Unga. "It took Max, Dennis and I awhile to get in sync with everything, but the new guys seem to be on track and way ahead of where I expected them to be. A lot of the coaches didn't expect a lot of the guys to be where they're at. It's a fun deal."

Now, Unga, the 2007 Mountain West Conference freshman of the year, is one of the team's elder statesmen.

"I've never seen myself like that. I still feel young at heart," he said with a laugh. "Personally, I don't like to put myself in that seniority bracket or stereotype. I feel like I'm just one of the guys out there trying to help this team to win."

At the end of last season, Unga looked into the possibility of forgoing his final year of eligibility and declaring for the NFL draft. Instead, he decided to come back for his senior campaign.

Unga's return to an offense that is breaking in plenty of newcomers, like true freshman tailback Joshua Quezada, is huge, said running backs coach Lance Reynolds.

"It's a great thing. It's great to have that kind of guy, the show-me guy that can show the younger guys how to do things," Unga said.

"The running backs have that to hang on to. There's nothing like having a picture of how it ought to be done. He's a leader. He's a loose guy, which is OK. His intensity when we go is second-to-none. He's an example to all of them. It's a nice thing for our team and our running backs to have him there."

Aside from being a leader and an example, Unga obviously is a proven commodity — he owns the school record in career rushing with 3,492 yards.

"He does so many things so well. He's got so much experience, so much talent," said Reynolds. "He's the ideal running back for us. He's big, he's fast, he's physical, he can catch. He's as good a player as we've ever had. He's a special, special player."