2011 BYU Football Thread

[MarkGrace]

It's been a while since he's actually strapped on a football helmet, but future BYU defensive back Joe Sampson can't wait to get to Provo. In fact, the former San Mateo Junior College defensive back – who played there for two years – has been preparing to hit BYU's fall camp like a bomb shot out of a cannon.

Anxious? Check. Patient? Well, Joe Sampson's got that box checked at least twice, since it's been a year since he's strapped on a football helmet. The 6-foot, 205-pound California native is eager to go from the Sunshine State to Utah so that the next phase of his life can get going.
"Oh man, I can't wait," Sampson said with excitement. "I've just been patient and anxious to get going. I've been waiting 21 years for my day to strap on my college pads, and now I finally get my chance to finally show what I can do at BYU. I can't wait to get out there and get going."

Before he can don the white and blue jersey of BYU, Sampson must first finish up two classes he’s currently taking.

Coach Howell, now coach of the BYU’s defensive backs, has been working to ensure that Sampson stays on course to join his future Cougar teammates. Howell has taken every opportunity allowed under the NCAA rules to follow up and encourage Sampson along the way.

"I think Coach Howell is a great person," Sampson said of his future position coach. "The day I met him I bonded with him. He always keeps in contact with me to make sure that I'm all good. He's always calling me when he can and making sure everything is alright with me and with my school. He makes sacrifices for me. He came out to my school just to talk to my teachers."

One person Sampson often speaks with and stays in constant contact with is his cousin, former BYU cornerback Brian Logan. The two spoke Tuesday, and being up at BYU with Logan for a semester is something Sampson is looking forward to. Logan’s last semem

"He really likes it up there and I don't know if he's going to try and be a GA up there or not right now."

Logan has expressed a few times that he would like to stay close to BYU's program in some capacity. He mentioned that he loves the sport of football and would like to be a GA at BYU at some point, but that opportunity will have to wait, as Logan is going to first try his hand at the NFL.

"He's been training up there and working hard to get ready for the next level," said Sampson. "He said he has a trainer now. I don't know his name, but he's just trying to get ready for the NFL."

Sampson also said he believes Logan has hired an agent in preparation for the NFL draft that will be held on April 28.

If for whatever reason Logan can't stick in the NFL, Sampson would like to see his cousin back in Provo.

"I do think if he can't get to the next level, it would be a good thing for him to come back. I wouldn't mind having him around while I'm there. That would be a good thing."

Much like Logan, Sampson is preparing himself for the next level as well.

"I might not strap up the helmet, but I strap up the cleats daily," Sampson said. "I have two trainers that I work with. I work with a weight trainer and a speed trainer, so I go out every day and work out. Sometimes I'll work out twice a day and sometimes once. It really depends on what day it is.

"I work on explosion a lot. My speed trainer helps me with speed. I always want to get faster, and so I work a lot on my speed. I also work a lot on my DB skills. You have to always keep up with that, so I work on those techniques a lot. We've got some games coming up, and so I've got to be ready. I'm going to be ready. I just need to get out there and I expect to just put my all into it. I've got two years left and so I'm going to make the most and best of my opportunities. That's one reason why I'm working so hard now before I even get there."

It's been a long and hard-fought journey for Sampson, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. So as Sampson prepares himself over the spring to head out to Utah in May, he has a few things he would like to say to the Cougar nation.

"I want to tell them that I'm going to bring some excitement to the team," Sampson said. "I'm going to come out there and give it my all and give them a show. I can't wait to be out there at BYU and play for those fans. I can't wait.

http://byu.scout.com/2/1048859.html

[oxcoug]

I hope this bodes well about Jordan Pendleton http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=6553846

I would love to have him 100% - I've sort of resigned myself to that never happening. But I really hope he's back full strength.

I see our OLB depth looking like:

Pendleton
KVN
Frazier (really came on and overcame my skepticism about him last year)
Jordan Atkinson (real talent, got a lot of reps late in 2009, sat out last year, back for his senior year)
Jadon Wagner (love how he played late last year, I see him potentially being shifted to a DE type role)
Alani Fua (athletic freak and heir apparent, just needs to find a way to stick more weight on that frame)

Who am I forgetting?

[oxcoug]

In an interview on Channel 2 (this is secondhand via a CB poster, so maybe one of you saw it) Doman apparently said that Jake is looking good going into Spring as the starter, that Nelson will be the backup and he's waiting to see how Riley responds to it.

We knew this was the case but it's good to hear the OC come out and just say it. Very good.

Bring me some football already.

[MarkGrace]

I hope this bodes well about Jordan Pendleton http://www.cougarboard.com/board/mes...tml?id=6553846

I would love to have him 100% - I've sort of resigned myself to that never happening. But I really hope he's back full strength.

I see our OLB depth looking like:

Pendleton
KVN
Frazier (really came on and overcame my skepticism about him last year)
Jordan Atkinson (real talent, got a lot of reps late in 2009, sat out last year, back for his senior year)
Jadon Wagner (love how he played late last year, I see him potentially being shifted to a DE type role)
Alani Fua (athletic freak and heir apparent, just needs to find a way to stick more weight on that frame)

Who am I forgetting?

Glad to hear he's doing better. I get the impression that he probably should have been sitting out part of his soph year, but played through it and it has ended up costing him more time in the long-run.

[MarkGrace]

In an interview on Channel 2 (this is secondhand via a CB poster, so maybe one of you saw it) Doman apparently said that Jake is looking good going into Spring as the starter, that Nelson will be the backup and he's waiting to see how Riley responds to it.

We knew this was the case but it's good to hear the OC come out and just say it. Very good.

Bring me some football already.

Do the coaches workout with the players during spring? I'm not terribly familiar with the NCAA rules, but I know there are times of the year when the coaches can't be present at workouts. Is that just during the summer?

[oxcoug]

Do the coaches workout with the players during spring? I'm not terribly familiar with the NCAA rules, but I know there are times of the year when the coaches can't be present at workouts. Is that just during the summer?

I'm paraphrasing and I'm guessing that whatever Doman was saying was based on what he was hearing about 7 on 7s not about what he was seeing.

But I'm pretty sure that they're not supposed to be there and if Doman is there's disguised as the Gatorade girl. You know the one who walks in between plays to help the boys hydrate.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

In an interview on Channel 2 (this is secondhand via a CB poster, so maybe one of you saw it) Doman apparently said that Jake is looking good going into Spring as the starter, that Nelson will be the backup and he's waiting to see how Riley responds to it.

We knew this was the case but it's good to hear the OC come out and just say it. Very good.

Bring me some football already.

If that is really how Doman feels at this point, I wonder what that means about Lark and Munns and their abilities. I realize Heaps was getting a huge majority of the reps after Nelson got hurt to try to develop, but I would have hoped Lark and/or Munns would have shown enough in practice that the coaches wouldn't just automatically consider Nelson the back-up.

Because of how Nelson plays, the title of back-up may just mean he's another QB that will see some game time in unique situations. But outside of that, it doesn't seem to make any sense to not develop Lark and Munns more at this point. Nelson hardly has any D-I experience under his belt, he's a senior, he can't run the offensive style this BYU offense is...he really shouldn't be anything other than a situational QB.

[SipiTau]

Do the coaches workout with the players during spring? I'm not terribly familiar with the NCAA rules, but I know there are times of the year when the coaches can't be present at workouts. Is that just during the summer?

Coaches aren't allowed contact during the off season work outs.

[oxcoug]

A bit of red meat for Coug fans about Apo.

http://sportsutah.net/byucougars/riseandshout

"I had a chance this past week to catch some 7 on 7 drills in Provo. Already it was evident that Brandon Doman will be bringing some new wrinkles to the offense and the majority of the routes were playaction type deep balls. Throughout the practice all the receivers looked sharp, but one stood out head and shoulders above the rest.. Ross Apo. Apo has the size of Chambers (he's actually bigger) but far better speed. I found it interesting that the QB's were still tossing him passes even when he was tied up in coverage."

[Blueintheface]

A bit of red meat for Coug fans about Apo.

http://sportsutah.net/byucougars/riseandshout

"I had a chance this past week to catch some 7 on 7 drills in Provo. Already it was evident that Brandon Doman will be bringing some new wrinkles to the offense and the majority of the routes were playaction type deep balls. Throughout the practice all the receivers looked sharp, but one stood out head and shoulders above the rest.. Ross Apo. Apo has the size of Chambers (he's actually bigger) but far better speed. I found it interesting that the QB's were still tossing him passes even when he was tied up in coverage."

I like it. By August I should have another SU quote for my signature.

[MarkGrace]

If that is really how Doman feels at this point, I wonder what that means about Lark and Munns and their abilities. I realize Heaps was getting a huge majority of the reps after Nelson got hurt to try to develop, but I would have hoped Lark and/or Munns would have shown enough in practice that the coaches wouldn't just automatically consider Nelson the back-up.

Because of how Nelson plays, the title of back-up may just mean he's another QB that will see some game time in unique situations. But outside of that, it doesn't seem to make any sense to not develop Lark and Munns more at this point. Nelson hardly has any D-I experience under his belt, he's a senior, he can't run the offensive style this BYU offense is...he really shouldn't be anything other than a situational QB.

Riley got a medical RS for last year, no? I thought I read that. He would be Jr. is that's the case.

[MarkGrace]

Coaches aren't allowed contact during the off season work outs.

Gracias. So basically the only time they can work with players is the fall? Spring and summer it's just the players on their own?

[MarkGrace]

A bit of red meat for Coug fans about Apo.

http://sportsutah.net/byucougars/riseandshout

"I had a chance this past week to catch some 7 on 7 drills in Provo. Already it was evident that Brandon Doman will be bringing some new wrinkles to the offense and the majority of the routes were playaction type deep balls. Throughout the practice all the receivers looked sharp, but one stood out head and shoulders above the rest.. Ross Apo. Apo has the size of Chambers (he's actually bigger) but far better speed. I found it interesting that the QB's were still tossing him passes even when he was tied up in coverage."

Damn I hope he's as good as advertised and stays healthy. Apo + Hoffman + a Mckay that pulls his head out of his ass could be pretty damn good.

Any word on his RS? There was a rumor on CB that he received it, but I haven't heard anything since.

[falafel]

Gracias. So basically the only time they can work with players is the fall? Spring and summer it's just the players on their own?

They can work with them in the Spring, right? The Spring game and everything. I don't think its Spring yet, so they wouldn't be working with the players right now.

[BGRTHNUMEGO]

Riley got a medical RS for last year, no? I thought I read that. He would be Jr. is that's the case.

Thanks for ruining my day.