Most Important Victory

Coach Edwards'

Most Important Victory

@Ted D. Nelson

(December 31, 2016)

I regularly record the television program BYU Sports Nation. This morning I was reviewing the recording of yesterday's program, a program originally aired the day after the passing of the widely loved LaVell Edwards and I tearfully considered the Great Man and events in our lives that we shared over the years. I have had red-eyes since Thursday morning when I first heard of his passing as I was preparing to leave the house with my wife Sandee on our way to The Temple to serve our Thursday shift.

I first came to know Coach Edwards when he was an assistant football coach and I was a JC transfer, "non-recruited walk-on" linebacker for the BYU Football Team. My two seasons were 1969 & 1970 (well before the advent of the "Quarterback Factory" attributed to Coach Edwards). Coach Edwards was the defensive coach, and along with graduate assistant Mel Olson, he was my position coach.

Once I finally earned a scholarship and became the starting middle linebacker, I had the great privilege of spending many hours with The Coach one-on-one as we viewed game film and discussed the next team on our schedule and how we would defend against their tendencies and various personnel.

During a game, The Coach would send me signals before each play from the sideline. In the huddle, I would make the basic defensive call I received and then our strong safety (and for my two cents, the best athlete on our team) Dan Hansen would call the pass coverage. Once we were at the line of scrimmage and I could see how our opponent was deployed, I would then call out to my teammates the adjustments according to what Coach had taught me in our meetings.

As I watch college football in this day and age and note all of the sophisticated signally that goes on between the sideline and the guys on the field I can't help but chuckle a bit. The method we used to communicate with the sideline seemed to be much simpler. During our games, Coach Edwards always carried a red clipboard loaded with a pad of white paper. When I looked to the sideline between plays, if I could see the red backside of the clipboard we would run the "Forty-Three" (4-3) series; if I saw the white of the paper on the front side, then we would run what Coach called the "Seventy" series (basically a 5-2). Then for fine-tuning, I would look to see where he placed his hands on the clipboard (i.e. one or two hands? held at the top or bottom? left or right side?). I loved it when he signaled for the "Forty-Three Slide Blitz"; it meant that at the snap of the ball, I was on the move.

On this Sports Nation broadcast, the question being posed for audience participation was something like "what was LaVell Edwards' greatest victory". Boy! There surely are a great number of defendable ways to answer that question. I'm sure there are a plethora of Bowl Games, Championship Clinching Games or Rivalry Games in the running. On Sports Nation this day, they had a telephone interview with former BYU defensive back, Derwin Gray, a young man who played in the early nineties. With his answer, Derwin expanded the realm of potential answers to include more than just the outcome of a particular football game. Derwin spoke of the many personal victories in the lives of so many who had been positively impacted by The Coach at such a critical time in their young lives. It was a great answer.

So, is it a game or a life changing experience that represents the "Greatest Victory"? I think it could be both. And, if it is both a game and a life changing experience, could it be life changing for both The Player & The Coach? Perhaps it could be; consider the following story...

At the culmination of Spring Practice in 1970 we played a full-blown football game; in the stadium with kickoffs, punts, four-quarters and a half-time; with referees and separate benches; Blue against White. Our Head Coach, Tommy Hudspeth did not participate in coaching either side; instead, he appointed Offensive Coach Dave Kragthorpe as Head Coach for the Blue Team and Defensive Coach LaVell Edwards as Head coach for the White Team.

The division of all of us players between the two teams was determined by a "Draft Process" which occurred several days before the game. Coaches Kragthorpe and Edwards took turns drafting us players by position; that is to say, If one coach picked the first string quarterback, the second string quarterback automatically went to the other team with the third team player at that position joining the same team as the first stringer.

When the dust settled from the Draft, the consensus was that Coach Kragthorpe's "Blue Team" was the better team with a greater share of the "Playmakers". I was on Coach Edwards' "White Team" and since I was second string middle linebacker with the first and third string guys on the "Blue Team", I would get to play the whole game.

During the days of practice after the "Draft" and leading up to the "big-game" there was plenty of "trash talking" between the two camps. But, surprisingly the biggest "trash talker" of all from my point of view was Coach Hudspeth. It seemed that he constantly was giving Coach Edwards the needle and challenging his judgment as demonstrated during the "Draft". Anyone who knows Coach Edwards well, knows that he could take a needling as well as anyone. However, with the close working relationship we had during the week of preparation for the game, I could see subtle signs of the irritation in his eyes and face. This game had become much more than just an "intersquad scrimmage" to The Coach. He became deeply invested in its outcome.

For me, this game represented my next big step and a clear opportunity on my quest to prove that I deserved a scholarship. I had worked hard all spring to earn the right to advance from the third team to the second team at middle linebacker; and knew that with the first and third team middle linebackers on the "Blue Team" I would be able to play the whole game for the "White Team" and do so under my coach, Coach Edwards.

This game did not take place on a "Big Stage"; nor was it attended by a large crowd. But to me, it may have been the most meaningful game I have ever played. Also, may I suggest that to a young assistant coach wondering when he might be forced to look for his next job, this game may well have taken on an unusual level of importance.

When the game ended I was physically and emotionally spent. After the final play I was standing in the middle of the field feeling totally at peace with my performance, and with the way my teammates had performed. I saw Coach Edwards hurriedly making his way towards me. As he approached, I could see his eyes were moist with emotion, he warmly threw his arms around me and then held me in front of him by my shoulder pads as he looked into my eyes and delivered his message. "Ted, as far as I'm concerned you're as good a linebacker as any on the team! You have earned your scholarship!" The Coach was uncharacteristically emotional in his delivery of what was to me incredible news.

I do not have the words to express how I felt at that moment; I suppose that my feelings of hope and equanimity had now been joined by a deep sense of satisfaction.

I love Coach Edwards...

Oh, and by the way, the "White Team" won! ...This game gets my vote for Lavell Edwards' greatest victory (at least on that day and for me and The Coach...).

GO COUGS!!!

(See cougarstats.com click on ‘lists’ then ‘defense’)