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Originally posted by LA Ute
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CFL all-time career reception record holder Ben Cahoon joined us in the President's loge as a live guest during the second segment of last night's broadcast. Cahoon (a Utah resident during his offseason) was recently awarded the LaVell Edwards Distinguished Alumni Award by Bronco Mendenhall and the BYU Football program.
"When we had an opportunity to consider who might be deserving to be recognized, you're really looking for the epitome of a BYU Football player. Not only were they exception on the football field, but they represent all of the core values, they have the characteristics that LaVell embraced and what he embodied."
"If we can continue to draw student-athletes to BYU like (Ben Cahoon), then we'll end up doing great things for the program."
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Knowing that Cahoon does offseason work with the BYU QBs and receivers, I asked Mendenhall about Cahoon's continuing assistance to contributions to current Cougar players.
"It's fantastic. Ben has their ear because he can still demonstrate and show--not only just speak to it or draw it on the board--but can still actually go out there and say 'do it like this,' and do it better than they could ever think about doing it; that's quite an impact."
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In a discussion about the art of pass-catching, Cahoon said "catching the ball can be taught."
"Catching is 90% mental, so you need to be able to practice on the field, and then you need to be able to visualize in your bedroom--imagine yourself making great grabs--then you need to be able to approach the game with complete confidence that whatever comes your way, you're going to come down with it."
Cahoon helped me complete the phrase I have heard him share with me in the past, about his pass-catching philosophy: "The tough catches are routine; the impossible ones just take a little more practice."
*******
Having worked with Jake Heaps before the season, Cahoon said he caught balls from Jake "and I dropped balls from Jake; the guy's got a cannon."
Cahoon said what stood about about Heaps "was his football maturity. He was confident, he knew where he was going to go with the ball. If he didn't he faked it well, and that's important, too."
"He's just got a hose for an arm, throws a very nice ball, and is just a confident, quality quarterback. He's going to be phenomenal."
*******
I asked Mendenhall what he would like his receivers to take from Cahoon's game, and the coach described observing Cahoon during his offseason workouts at BYU and the detailed way in which he ran his routes, etc.
"It's not just catching the football; there's all this position mastery that went into it prior to that. I would hope that our receivers would think that catching the football is important, but be 'un-coverable,' and sometimes that's not only about speed--in fact seldom is it only about speed."
"When we had an opportunity to consider who might be deserving to be recognized, you're really looking for the epitome of a BYU Football player. Not only were they exception on the football field, but they represent all of the core values, they have the characteristics that LaVell embraced and what he embodied."
"If we can continue to draw student-athletes to BYU like (Ben Cahoon), then we'll end up doing great things for the program."
*******
Knowing that Cahoon does offseason work with the BYU QBs and receivers, I asked Mendenhall about Cahoon's continuing assistance to contributions to current Cougar players.
"It's fantastic. Ben has their ear because he can still demonstrate and show--not only just speak to it or draw it on the board--but can still actually go out there and say 'do it like this,' and do it better than they could ever think about doing it; that's quite an impact."
*******
In a discussion about the art of pass-catching, Cahoon said "catching the ball can be taught."
"Catching is 90% mental, so you need to be able to practice on the field, and then you need to be able to visualize in your bedroom--imagine yourself making great grabs--then you need to be able to approach the game with complete confidence that whatever comes your way, you're going to come down with it."
Cahoon helped me complete the phrase I have heard him share with me in the past, about his pass-catching philosophy: "The tough catches are routine; the impossible ones just take a little more practice."
*******
Having worked with Jake Heaps before the season, Cahoon said he caught balls from Jake "and I dropped balls from Jake; the guy's got a cannon."
Cahoon said what stood about about Heaps "was his football maturity. He was confident, he knew where he was going to go with the ball. If he didn't he faked it well, and that's important, too."
"He's just got a hose for an arm, throws a very nice ball, and is just a confident, quality quarterback. He's going to be phenomenal."
*******
I asked Mendenhall what he would like his receivers to take from Cahoon's game, and the coach described observing Cahoon during his offseason workouts at BYU and the detailed way in which he ran his routes, etc.
"It's not just catching the football; there's all this position mastery that went into it prior to that. I would hope that our receivers would think that catching the football is important, but be 'un-coverable,' and sometimes that's not only about speed--in fact seldom is it only about speed."
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