BYU junior offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho savoring big moments and individual challenges
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- BYU junior offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho celebrates a big play during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
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- BYU junior offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho celebrates with fans after the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
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- BYU junior offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho (61) and senior Caleb Etienne (76) celebrate with wide receiver Darius Lassiter after Lassiter scored a touchdown during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
Early in the second half of BYU football’s 38-9 win over Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Sept. 21, Cougar junior offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho was waiting with the rest of the offense to take the field as the Wildcats set up to punt.
Since BYU was playing to prevent a successful fake, the expectation was that the Cougars would likely get the ball in their own territory, probably around the 20-yard line, and so the offense was set up accordingly.
Everyone knows what happened next as BYU sophomore returner Parker Kingston managed to recover the ball after touching it and then returned it for a thrilling 90-yard touchdown.
What those not in attendance likely didn’t see was how Lapuaho celebrated as he made his way to the other end of the field for the extra point.
“There aren’t many people who could run down the middle of the field in that type of moment and feel that type of energy,” Lapuaho said with a grin. “I doing a hawk, flying down the field. I was on the top of the world, even though I didn’t take back to the end zone. I could hear the crowd and it was so loud that I literally couldn’t hear myself as I was yelling as I ran down the middle of the field. It’s a crazy feeling going on the field after a big play like that.”
College football players spend countless hours training, studying, lifting and practicing to get to experience that rush.
“Those moments right there singlehandedly make all the hard work worth it, just to be in the moment,” Lapuaho said. “It sucks to be on the other side of that, because we have been. But being on the good side is amazing. I will remember that whole game for the rest of my life.”
As he thought back to that moment, he came to the conclusion that “you just can’t explain the feeling of it. You just can’t.”
It turned out to be BYU’s biggest statement to date in the 2024 season as the Cougars have started 4-0. Lapuaho said it “feels great” but isn’t a surprise to anyone in the program.
“We knew we could be here,” he said. “Some of the hard work is paying off, but we’re not done. Each week is a one-game season, so we just need to keep pressing on.”
He said he feels like his offensive line unit is “coming along” and has shown flashes of what it is capable of.
“We’re still not putting exactly what we want to put out on tape,” Lapuaho said. “I know we could be better, but I’m happy where we’re at and where we’re going. There are always things to improve but I think we are going in the right direction.”
He said that the next step is increasing the consistency of winning the individual and collective battles.
“It’s about doing it every play and just beating the guy across from you every single play,” Lapuaho said. “You have moments where you have to strain as hard as you ever have. You’ve just got to do it. I can see improvement in that but we’ve got to do it every play.”
He emphasized that a lot of it comes down to having the right mentality and recognizing that the little improvement can pay big dividends.
“If you get that mentality, you give just that extra little inch,” Lapuaho said. “Football is a game of inches. If you give the extra little effort, that extra little push, it could open up the hole just a little bit more to where my running back sees it. That extra little push could push out the defensive end to give my quarterback time to step up. Those little things that people really don’t realize but it takes a lot of effort to do make big plays.”
He said that’s what he is thinking about on every snap when he is on the field.
“I try to tell myself that I’ve got my brothers behind me and I’ve got to ball right now,” Lapuaho said. “There’s no choice.”
And then there are the payoffs, whether it’s blocking for a big run or giving the QB time to find an open receiver or just getting a pancake block.
Lapuaho said his favorite moment as a lineman is knowing he is doing his job for his team.
“The best is dominating the guy across the line from you and putting him on his back,” Lapuaho said. “There are 11 guys having their own one-on-one battles, so winning mine is probably my favorite thing to do.”
He added that it is even better when it happens in the fourth quarter, when he knows he has worn down the other team.
“That’s when you look across the ball and see who wants it,” Lapuaho said. “It’s part of the game of football that I love.”
