Friday, June 13, 2008

The Mission of BYU Football



In the News


By Mark Beck
BYU-Idaho Media Relations


REXBURG, Idaho -- BYU's football program is more about truth and virtue than football, according to Bronco Mendenhall, head football coach at Brigham Young University.

He told Brigham Young University-Idaho students at the weekly devotional on Tuesday about the mission of BYU football and the experiences he has had over the past three years since becoming head coach.

"Our mission is to be the flag-bearers of Brigham Young University through football excellence, embracing truth, tradition, virtue and honor as a beacon to the world," Mendenhall said. "That is so others will come to the truth. For those of you who are fans, football means nothing. It's only a vehicle to help others receive a message of real value and substance."

Mendenhall drew much of his talk from an experience he had during the interview process to become the head coach at BYU.

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"To be BYU's football coach, the final interview -- and deciding interview, I might add -- came with an interview by President Henry B. Eyring," Mendenhall said. "The final interview was with a special witness of our Savior Jesus Christ."

Mendenhall said he only remembered one question asked during the interview.

"I couldn't tell you how long that interview lasted or any other questions that were asked," he said. "The first and only question I remember was . . . he wanted to know from me is the church true."

Mendenhall also spoke of the pressure of taking over a struggling program with a winning tradition.

"My first day on the job, in the office at BYU, the first two hours was spent on my knees in prayer not knowing what to do or how to do it," Mendenhall said.

Mendenhall concluded by encouraging BYU-Idaho students to be a light to those around them.

He quoted from 3 Nephi 18:24, saying: "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up -- that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed."'

"Wouldn't it be nice to be living your life in a way to be prompted so directly by the spirit, to be able to know what to say and what to do to be the light that others could look to?" Mendenhall said.

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2 comments:

Jia said...

Is it strange that I feel such comfort from this post? I love that the BYU football team is not just about trophies and scores, it's about something much more important.

Mormon Soprano said...

Yes! Now how do we remind those fanatic Y fans of this?!?!! ;)