From his home on South Campus Drive, Udell Westover has a front-row view of Orem High School's campus and the east bleachers of the Tigers' football stadium -- a place he knows a thing or two about.

The head football coach for the Orem Tigers from the late '50s until 1968, Westover and his Golden Tigers were widely known for their '60s championship dynasty. His teams took home football state championships in 1962 and 1968 and came within a few touchdowns of winning several other titles in the decade.

"Orem High in the '60s was the most dominant football team in the state," said David Stanley, a tight end and team captain on the 1968 championship team that went 12-0.

Westover's former players, including Brent Sumner, a fullback on OHS teams 1965-67, cite their head coach as a major reason for their victories. Though there was athletic talent on the teams, Westover stuck to the basics and inspired his players to believe in themselves and to overachieve, he said.

"It was the coaching," Sumner said. "He ... emphasized teamwork and being competitive."

But Westover's bond with his players goes far beyond Friday nights under the lights and excelling in the classroom. He genuinely cares about them as individuals, Stanley said.

"Whenever any of his players had a wedding reception, he was there. If anyone died, he was the first to donate flowers or be there for them," he said. "He really had a love for the kids."

The entire Orem community came out for the games, including grade-school kids who would sneak in. The team developed such a following that Westover and his teams took on near-mythical proportions, Stanley said. Coach Westover was celebrated as a hero around town and at school.

"He was so highly respected that when he walked down the hall, there was complete reverence. When he walked in the locker room, there was complete silence," Stanley said. "He commanded an audience."

Many players from the nucleus of that 1968 championship team have kept in touch with one another and Westover over the years. And now they've found a way to return the favor.

When Stanley learned during a spring visit with his former coach that Westover needed to replace his aging driveway, Stanley and a cadre of Tiger teammates joined forces to build him a new driveway.

About 10 players from the Class of '69 raised about $600 for the project and provided the muscle for ripping out the old driveway Friday and pouring the new concrete this morning. They also got help from local contractors and businesses that let them borrow equipment and dispose of the old concrete slabs.

"I feel proud and a little non-deserving," Westover said of the gift from his former players and students. "I was just doing my job and they were doing their jobs but maybe a little rubbed off."

The school's football success during the 1960s, he said, was a product of its great players and assistant coaches and an attitude that permeated the entire Orem High student body.

"It was a winning attitude," Westover said. "They're great kids."

David Benson, an offensive tackle with the OHS Class of '69 who assisted with the driveway project, said Westover is more than deserving of their thanks.

"It will be a lot of fun doing it even though it will be hard work," he said. "He was just an unreal guy and a motivator. ... You just wanted to play your heart out for him."

Just this week, Sumner was talking to some friends about his Orem High days and the influence Westover has had on his life.

"He stays with you the rest of your life," Sumner said. "I probably think about him on a regular basis, and during football season, every day."