"The legacy, really, isn't so much what we did on the field that year. It's what we've done with our lives since that year," Sikahema says. "If you trace those guys from starters to backup players to scout team guys, the legacy of that team epitomizes what LaVell Edwards' teams have always stood for. Those men on those teams have become doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, principals. We became great fathers, good husbands and leaders in our communities and churches. That, to me, is more satisfying than the national championship."

Members of that '84 have remained close over the years. That championship season forged an unbreakable bond.

Herrmann marvels at the impact playing at BYU has had on his life. He grew up in Wisconsin, and he wasn't a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he arrived at BYU. Today, Herrmann is a longtime Utah resident and a member of the church.

"Because of my football experience, and because of that national championship, Utah is now my home," he says. "I have a great network of friends and business associates and people I've met through my college football experience that's shaped my life. Everybody in my wedding line were teammates of mine. I've been the best man of other teammates' weddings. It's really a team fraternity and it's really cool to have those relationships. It's been a huge, positive impact on my life and I'm proud to be on that team."

Morrell says he still keeps in touch with his former teammates.

"Seriously, I probably get two or three e-mails a day from guys I played with, asking if I need help with anything. When something goes bad for someone on our team, we pull together and help them out — financially or being there for them when they've lost loved ones. We band together. Life is tough and there have been ups and downs in everybody's life. When somebody's down, somebody hears about it and they get the e-mail out to the rest of the team and we all come together to help that individual out, regardless of what it is. It's really fun when we get together and we have our kids and our wives. It's exciting to see the direction people take in their lives. When I look back, 22 or 24 of the guys who were the essence of the team, it's amazing how successful they've been in business and in life as well."

Matich says what he misses most about his days at BYU is the camaraderie with his teammates. Their brotherhood was galvanized through a grueling yet rewarding national championship season.

"As you go through that together, you develop an emotional bond that can't be created easily. That was built week-by-week through the course of an entire season. That bond is something we'll have the rest of our lives, whether we have lunch every day or whether we see each other every ten years. When we get together, it's like we've never been apart. It's like it's 1984."

e-mail: jeff@desnews.com