BYU football: Intern's days are long, mundane, educational

PROVO — Wonder how much time BYU coaches put into their jobs each week? Well, check out the daily schedule of the interns.

One of them is former Cougar linebacker Kelly Poppinga, who helps out a BYU defense that shut out Wyoming last week, 52-0. Poppinga lives in Salt Lake City. He leaves his house in the darkness, at 4:30 a.m., and arrives in Provo at about 5:15. After a workout on campus, he gets to his office between 6:15 or 6:30. He doesn't leave until after breaking down film of practice by 7:30 or 8:30 p.m., depending on the day. He returns to his home in the darkness, by 9 or 9:30.

"It's a long day," said Poppinga, who finished his BYU career in 2007. "But when Friday comes and I'm on the plane and we're flying somewhere (on a road trip), it's a good rest right there. It's about the first time I get a good sleep all week long."

This week, the Cougars go on the road again to face New Mexico Saturday (noon, The mtn.).

Poppinga's role is similar to that of a graduate assistant — which means he receives a stipend equivalent to what a player on scholarship receives. Of course, he could be earning a lot more money doing something else. He doesn't have to subject himself to this kind of anonymous, and sometimes mundane, work. But he says his goal of becoming a football coach is worth the sacrifice.

"I wouldn't be putting all this time in if I wasn't making plans to be in this career," he said. "It's not as much football as you think it is. You're doing a lot of little stuff that's not football-related. But at the same time, I'm learning a lot. If I knew as much when I played as I know now, I would have been a lot better player, that's for sure. It's been a great experience."

While Poppinga was explaining the nature of his job with a reporter recently, linebackers coach Paul Tidwell walked by.

"I do whatever coach Tidwell tells me to do. I'm his little whipping boy," Poppinga said with a sly grin, knowing Tidwell was within earshot. "Whatever he tells me to do, I do. Wash his car, clean out his office."

Said Tidwell, smiling: "That's not true."

"Sometimes I'll run down and get Jamba Juices," Poppinga said.

"I have asked him to do that," Tidwell admitted.

"The intern and graduate assistant do the same exact stuff — breaking down film, doing all of the odds and ends stuff to help the full-time coaches and making their jobs a little bit easier so they can spend their time on game planning," Poppinga said. "Really — washing cars, getting Jamba Juice."