Words From A Teammate

Fifty Plus Years Later!

My dear friend, brother, and former “Old Cat” teammate, Larry Heaps, after reading my “blog” was kind enough to pen a few thoughts recalling the conditions under which we first met. I hadn’t realized that Coach Hudspeth had “put a target on my JC Transfer Back”, but after thinking about what Larry writes below, “the BB’s are starting to fall in the holes”. “Nothing Personal, Just Business!” Thanks #80! And...Go Cougs!!!

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“Nothing Personal, Just Business”

“In the spring of 1969, I was going into my junior year as a varsity football player at BYU. Tom Hudspeth was the head coach and had developed a very different culture than today's sense of brotherhood and team play. He had made it very clear that there would be a large number of junior college transfers coming and that no one's position or scholarship was secure. This caused a lot of antagonism towards any and all J.C. transfers.

In one of the first practices we were doing a 7 on 7 pass drill. We were just in shorts, helmets but no pads. On one particular down I was a 4th option as the play was on my opposite side. As I came across the middle, not paying attention to my surroundings, I suddenly thought I had been run over by a truck. I think I was looking out the ear hole of my helmet and realized I had been closed lined by #54. I made some rather uncomplimentary comments to #54 and all he said was "STAY OUT OF MY AREA!"

That was my introduction to Ted. I realized that Ted had adopted the same motto as was made famous in the movie The Godfather. "Nothing personal, just business"

Ted and I developed a very strong friendship that has lasted these 50 plus years. I am proud to call #54, Ted Nelson, a brother and friend.”

Larry Heaps. #80

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