BYU football seeing on-field benefits from team-first focus
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- BYU players run onto the field before the Big 12 game against Arizona at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
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- BYU offensive linemen block during the Big 12 game against Arizona at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
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- BYU defenders make a tackle during the Big12 game against Arizona at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
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- BYU football players prepare to take the field before the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
Ask your average college football fan to name a football player who plays for No. 13-ranked (and undefeated) BYU and they might have a tough time coming up with someone.
Some might mention Cougar junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who has been spotlighted because of his Jewish faith, but other than that there aren’t a lot of headliners.
That’s because this is a group of guys who have bought into focusing on creating the best team they can.
It’s not that they don’t want to get drafted or have personal success, as junior wide receiver Chase Roberts pointed out in Monday’s press teleconference. It’s just they have a clear understanding that succeeding on the field is the first step.
“”Obviously we all have those aspirations,” Roberts said “I think we understand that the best way to make it to the NFL is by winning games. That’s putting your team first and buying in to the culture. It’s buying into each other and loving each other.”
With a 6-0 record, a Top-15 national ranking and some College Football Playoff buzz, it’s clear that BYU is doing something right.
“We’re seeing it pay off,” Roberts said. “We’re winning games and I think as we keep winning games there’s going to be more and more guys that jump on the radar for the NFL. We’re going to stick to that focus instead of our own individual accolades. We know that as we win games that we’ll have the opportunity to go to the next level.”
The hallmark of the 2024 Cougar squad is that they play complementary team football, which is something head coach Kalani Sitake values highly.
“I’m just proud of the guys,” Sitake said. “They work hard and I think the spotlight is going to shine on guys when they make plays, but I like that they know it’s not just about them doing it all by themselves. They have 10 other teammates that are there with them making that play work.
“The guys are all bought-in to the team mentality. If everyone can keep doing their one-eleventh on the field and focusing on improvement, that will be the key for us this week.”
While others doubted BYU throughout the offseason, Sitake also had a clear idea of what his team could accomplish when it got the opportunity.
“”I knew what these guys were capable of doing because I know the character that’s in them,” Sitake said. “We started working in January, and from that moment we have had a good feeling about them. It’s working on the scoreboard, but culture and connection are things you have to keep working on off the field as well.”
Glasker gets national recognition, Martin also honored
BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker was named the Chuck Bednarik National Player of the Week today by the Maxwell Football Club for his performance in the Cougars’ 41-19 win over Arizona on Saturday.
The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually at the conculsion of the college football regular season to the defensive player of the year in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club, located in Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Glasker, a 6-5, 235-pound sophomore from South Jordan, Utah, recorded a stat in nearly every defensive category against the Wildcats. Glasker totaled five solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, an interception for a 21-yard touchdown, a sack, a pass break up and a forced fumble that led to a BYU field goal.
Through six games in 2024, Glasker has 24 tackles, including a team-leading 18 unassisted takedowns. He leads BYU in tackles for loss with seven and is tied for the team lead in forced fumbles. In addition, the athletic and versatile defender is second on the team with two sacks while adding two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups to go along with his pick-six touchdown.
The Bednarik Award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year since 1994 and is named in honor of Chuck “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik, who was an All-American player at the University of Pennsylvania and an All-Pro linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award will be announced on Nov. 12 and the three finalists for the award will be revealed on Nov. 26. The winner of the annual award will be announced live during the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN on Dec. 12.
In addition, BYU running back LJ Martin was today named an Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week honorable mention selection for week seven of the 2024 college football season.
Martin scored two touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing in No. 14 BYU’s 41-19 win over Arizona on Saturday. He ran the ball 11 times for 49 yards also had three receptions for 46 to lead all Cougars with 95 all-purpose yards. Martin missed three games this season due to injury but has recorded 136 yards on 29 rushes, good for 4.7 yards per carry.
