Podcast Links:
News and Notes:
Criddle: “The all-poly camp is probably one of the biggest camps on the west coast in the country. Look at the coaches that are coming to the state now.”
Criddle: “Alema Harrington and I started this show, originally with LHM, now with ESPN. He’s now doing TV and drug counseling.”
Criddle: “Doug Robinson did a tremendous job explaining everything that Alema has struggled through in his life, but not only him but other former athletes.”
Criddle: “There’s a lot of pressure and anxiety involved with it.”
Criddle: “The most recent and visible is Max Hall.”
How We See It:
Twestion: How big of an issue is prescription drug abuse in college athletics today?
Dickson: “In sports, where so much is expected out of these athletes. I think a lot of these issues will start at the high school level.”
Criddle: “I think that alcohol abuse will start at the HS level, but there’s a lot more access to prescription drugs when you’re in college.”
Criddle: “Alema brought up that he was injured in his sophomore or junior year going over the middle and catching a pass while getting hit in the lower back.”
Criddle: “He remembers one game where he injured his back and he couldn’t feel anything below his legs during a game against Miami, he was injured and he told the doctor he was done, they shot him up with some drugs and he went home to Hawaii to have surgery, but he still had pain.”
Criddle: “I have buddies, Chris Warner, who was a stud athlete. He would’ve been the starting FS in 2007, and he was injured during a live drill in practice where his ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL, everything was completely obliterated.”
Criddle: “My neck hurts because I led with my head. I would lock up my pads, and aim with my helmet.”
Criddle: “If Alema doesn’t come out and say that he is struggling with this, more and more people would hide it.”
Dickson: “I respect both Alema and Max for coming forward and letting their demons be known.”
Criddle: “I think that there needs to be a program with BYU where if it’s suspected that someone is dealing with these issues, if it’s strike 1 they have to meet with a counselor like Alema.”
Dickson: “It’s hard with the honor code, if they are just thrown out and aren’t helped, the addiction will continue and get worse.”
Criddle: “You see it every year where an athletes health and well being are completely overlooked.”
Top 3 Stories:
Rex: “The first property is up in Farmington, it sold for $449,000 in 2007 and it’s listed at $341,000. 4,200 sqft. home. Great property.”
Criddle: “I participated in the Liberty Mutual kidney foundation golf tournament. This used to be a huge spectacle but obviously it’s not when I have to be involved.”
Criddle: “This should be Bronco and Kyle having a good time giving back to charity. They don’t do this anymore because Bronco would bring three football players and Kyle would bring three ringers.”
Rex: “It’s Bronco’s fault, they are bringing ringers and he’s bringing football players.”
Dickson: “It’s the medias fault, they are covering the coaches when they don’t want to anymore.”
Criddle: “It’s Kyle’s fault for bringing ringers!”
Rex: “Property number two is in Sandy, 579,000 built in 1999 on 2/3 of an acre, sold for 710,000.”
Criddle: “I’m extremely intrigued by Alan Hamson, he’s apparently 7’3″ maybe 7’4″ depending on who you listen to. He was partnered with a 6’6″ Elder. Is it a big deal to get a guy like him?”
Dickson: “I think it’s a big deal. But he won’t be used until next year because he will be getting back in September.”
Dickson: “BYU hasn’t had a big guy who would really slow down the offense since Trent Plaisted or Rafael Aruojo.”
Rex: “Look at how the Warriors are playing in the finals, Andrew Bogut has been sat and BYU plays similar with a run-and-gun offense. I don’t see a big guy fitting in to that offense but he could be an asset defensively.”
Rex; “The third property is in Draper listed for $675,000, built in 1996, full acre, sold in 2010 for $731,000.”
Criddle: “Jimmer Fredette will be in town this week for dinner. When Jimmer was done playing he went into a Sub for Santa auction to win a dinner with Jimmer and things didn’t work out and they weren’t able to get their schedules to match up. But Jimmer called me up last month and wanted to honor that commitment since the dinner was paid for so we’ll be doing it this Thursday.”
Cougar Insider Report:
Criddle: “Brighton WR Simi Fehoko currently has a top 5 of BYU, Michigan, Utah, Stanford, and Washington. He said he’d be willing to add Oregon if they were to offer him. He performed well at the opening up in Eugene this weekend.”
Criddle: “He’s a great athlete that’s playing WR and getting things done on the field.”
Dickson: “He really deserves the attention he’s getting. I’d be surprised if he ended up at BYU but he would be a great get for them.”
Criddle: “Kids are fickle, their mind can be changed. If Taysom is dispersing the ball and say Mitch Mathews ends up getting drafted, then that completely changes recruiting pitches.”
Criddle: “A lot of times it comes to a good, better, best, and very best option for these kids.”
Criddle: “How many times in our lives do we have the good, better, best, very best decision in front of us?”
Riley Jensen Interview:
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Dickson: “The coaches are always so busy. I called Garett Tujague last week and he was on the road in Phoenix.”
Jensen: “The problem is that guys like Urban Meyer and Gary Anderson have set a high standard to go and do all these events.”
Jensen: “I heard that one of the problems with Anderson was that he spent so much time at events that he never got to coach.”
Jensen: “I think that Matt Wells is the most sociable coach. Too be honest, Bronco and Kyle have been doing it for so long that they’re burnt out.”
Jensen: “If you’re not going to every social event, fans will think, ‘Well, at least he’s still winning.'”
Jensen: “I saw a tweet today that Bronco was surfing in California which I’m glad he’s doing, he deserves to be able to do stuff like that.”
Jensen: “I think all your coaches have to be able to talk, they need to be able to go out and recruit.”
Jensen: “Sometimes it’s nice to have a young guy who’s willing to work hard for you.”
Jensen: “I think they need to be able to go out and make mistakes, but then bring guys in and get some wins for the program.”
Jensen: “This year is the first year we’ve ever had Michigan come even though we had Jim come when he was with Stanford.”
Jensen: “It’s unbelievable to see how far this camp has come. When we first started we had like 10 kids who we were begging to play QB and none of them would touch the ball with a ten foot pole.”
Jensen: “The big scrimmage is at Ellison Park in Layton. That scrimmage is about as physical as most college football games.”
Jensen: “Trevor Reilly, the Kruger brothers, Manti Te’o. We have like 25 guys who’ve played in the NFL and 100 who’ve received D1 scholarships.”
Jensen: “We tell kids to be ready to show up to this. It shouldn’t be their first work out of the summer cause it could mean $1,000’s in scholarships.”
Jensen: “Sione Heimuli-Lund has 27 offers going into his junior year and we have Simi Fehoko who is an absolute stud. I think he’ll stick out in a situation like the All-Poly Camp.”
Jensen: “There’s going to be like 50 guys there who you’ll see and think, ‘Oh my gosh, where did this guy come from?'”
Jensen: “If you stand out, you’re an NFL guy, if you can compete and play well, you’re a D1 guy.”
Jensen: “I’m proud of Alema for coming out and wearing this on his sleeve. I’ve known him for a long time and knew he struggled with it but to come out and talk about it, I’m proud of him.”
Jensen: “I think that college football was spiraling out of control, doctors would just think that if they numb the pain then guys could battle through it.”
Jensen: “It’s tricky because when you take it cause it was prescribed to you, people will just justify it.”
Jensen: “Brad Martin was one of my favorite guys while I was down at BYU and it breaks my heart to see that he passed away after struggling with his addiction.”
Craig Bills Interview:
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Dickson: “He’s the hardest hitting guy I saw in HS. He was vicious, devastating, when it came to hitting opponents.”
Bills: “My injury was unfortunate especially coming in the last 5 minutes. I had a great day and hit all my goals. I ran a 4.48, 19 reps, and ran a 4.2 in the shuttle drill.”
Bills: “I dislocated a joint in my foot and tore a few ligaments in there too. I just planted, something I had done a million times before.”
Bills: “It has to do with the turf, the narrowness of the cleats, and doing an abrupt movement.”
Bills: “The same thing happened to Chad Lewis at the end of his career.”
Bills: “I get the plates and screws out in about a month and I’ll be getting ready to go out and play again after that.”
Bills: “The Eagles have shown interest, the Colts have called just to see how my recovery is going.”
Bills: “We try not to talk about our injuries because it’s a sensitive subject to us. But it’s something that comes with the risk of playing football. When you move in an athletic way and you’re doing sudden cuts and twists, it can happen.”
Bills: “The beauty of running a 3-4 is that you have your basic plays and that everything we run just builds off of that.”
Bills: “I haven’t met Eric but I think he’ll do a great job and will be out there competing.”
Bills: “I think overcoaching was an issue in the secondary last year. At times it got to the point that they were trying to figure too many things out.”
Bills: “When you’re in the secondary you need to have a short memory and focus on mastering the fundamentals and building upon that.”
Bills: “I think it’s overthinking by the players and overcoaching by the coaches.”
Bills: “I think they’ll contribute some things that will help guys come in and make plays. I think Kai will come back with confidence.”
Bills: “Matt Hadley will be a darkhorse to start. We played together his freshman year and my sophomore year. He’s physical and loves to make plays.”
Bills: “He’s the all-time leading rusher in the state of WA and I can only see it as a plus.”
Bills: “I think giving Michael Alisa dating advise can be someone else’s problem.”
Criddle: “Look at Uani Unga who just signed a deal with the Giants after rupturing an ACL and missing Pro Day and the combine.”
Dick Harmon Interview:
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Harmon: “I miss having the current coaches there, but I think that they should be able to etch out some time for a very good cause.”
Harmon: “This cause has been recognized nationally where they’ve been able to bring rival coaches together.”
Harmon: “One of the nice things about being able to write in the summer is not having to worry about deadlines.”
Harmon: “Cosic is a legend back in Croatia and he’s someone that is very prominent back there.”
Harmon: “When the heat is on you, making those plays and finishing is important and that’s something that some people struggle with.”
Harmon: “Zac Blair and Tony Finau came through and delivered when they needed to to get their cue cards.”
Harmon: “I knew a few guys who were addicted to prescription drugs who played at BYU back in the 80’s.”
Harmon: “There was a WR, Scott Norburg, who ended up being beat to death in the Maricopa County Jail. He ended up choking to death after being abused.”
Harmon: “Washington, Colorado, and Oregon are seeing more drug use, more DWI, and many more issues because of the legalization of marijuana.”
Harmon: “Some people claim it’s not a big deal but there have been statistics that speak otherwise.”
Criddle: “Do you think Alan Hamson could be a contributor on next years team?”
Harmon: “I do think he could be, obviously coming back from a mission he wouldn’t get a ton of time but I heard he has a nice shot from 10 ft and can obviously play under the basket.”
Harmon: “BYU needs someone who can get up around the rim and block shots and alter shots.”
Harmon: “BYU needs him to be a trailer until they can get into a set offense. He’s not someone who can get up and down the court at the tempo they play.”
Harmon: “I try to get three microphones out there to get everyone I can, but anytime you can get one-on-one’s is very rare.”
Dickson: “My plan is to walk in and say, ‘Hey look there’s Steve Young!’ Once everyone is distracted I’ll get a one-on-one with Taysom.”
Dickson: “I know that BYU is having meetings on how do we give the media what it needs, but nothing more?”
6:30 Segment:
Criddle: “I feel bad for Craig, he’s big enough and athletic enough that he should be in the NFL.”
Bills: “I think that some of the issues from last year may have been from overcoaching by the coaches and overthinking by the players.”
Dickson: “By overcoaching I think he might mean undercoaching. I think that Nick Howell may have been out of his element and was giving them too much information instead of the key information that they needed.”
Criddle: “When you play with a fear of failure in the back of your mind, your instincts are hindered.”
Criddle: “The coaching staff is supposed to give you tools and you are supposed to implement those tools.”
Criddle: “If you play with a fear of getting beat, you aren’t going to be a good football player.”
Dickson: “We saw in games against Virginia and Houston that the secondary wasn’t where it needed to be.”
Criddle: “In that game against Boise State, Craig was not the same player that he was before the injury.”
Dickson: “I’m not sure that even if Bronco had been the defensive coordinator that the secondary would’ve been better because of the lack of pass rush cause of the large number of injuries.”
Random Thoughts:
Criddle: “On the 25th, I’m going to have a current coach of Brigham Young co-hosting the show with me.”
Dickson: “My lemon honey chicken marinade was a hit at the BBQ this weekend, and I have got some leftovers waiting for me at home.”
Criddle: “I really want to get into smoking and BBQ’ing. I was blessed to have a Dad who was good with it growing up and I just need to learn how to enjoy the process.”
Criddle: “I was playing golf this weekend and was taking my sweet time up to the tee box and grabbed a polish dog while the guys I was playing with were waiting for me to golf, i was just enjoying the process. So enjoy the process.”
