Personal Trainer says UCLA has far more talent than BYU
A guy in Utah County who has access to BYU players on a personnel basis, perhaps at a local gym, discounts the athletic ability of players on BYU?s roster and their conditioning program under Jay Omer.
Over the years, BYU players have gone off campus to train and receive advice at times. They have done this on the sly. I know this for a fact. This person, while posting without his actual name, does seem to know BYU players and some of their recruiting. It is interesting to see his slant and take as a UCLA fan and former player for the Bruins. He seems to want to put the loss on UCLA?s coaching staff and the preparedness involved.
The poster is someone who uses the moniker ?stoptothink? I include it here because it is an interesting take in light of 59-0. I do not think he is accurate, particularly about Harvey Unga. His basis for ranking football talent is to link it to recruiting interest of BCS schools. I think that is a mistake. If you went by that marker, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco and Jim McMahon would be considered non-BCS talent.
“I’m actually a former Bruin walk-on who now lives in Provo, Utah. I’m also a strength and conditioning coach/nutritionist who works with quite a few of the BYU players. BYU is a very good TEAM, from an athletic standpoint they can’t sniff UCLA’s jock. Hall, Unga, Collie, Pitta, etc. are very good players but none of them were major recruits or received any attention from BCS schools(the exception being Hall who originally committed to ASU). Outside of the entire offensive line, there may be a handful of Cougar players that would even make the UCLA squad; I know virtually every member of the team personally, they simply do not have the physical measurables and natural athleticism that most big-time programs are after. But they are all very intelligent, excellent FOOTBALL players, work their butts off on a daily basis, understand how to play as a team, and come to play each and every week. Talent isn’t the issue, and probably never will be.”
“With all due respect, I am not a Cougar fan. I played my ball with the Bruins (for a year-and-a-half anyway) so they’ll always be my team. I am though very impressed with the BYU football program. Glad they’re strength and conditioning program is an absolute joke because it keeps me in business, but they get a lot out of minimal talent.”
“Bruin fans need to stop making excuses about Dorrell and the level of talent; we may not have BCS bowl talent right now but it is worlds ahead of BYU. Harvey Unga, that guy who ran all around and through the Bruin defense the entire first half yesterday, is someone I have worked with quite a bit the past 2 years…I’d be willing to bet he would have never even made the UCLA squad, but he’ll probably get some all-American pub the next few years. He may be 230+lbs. but he is far from a physical specimen: runs in the 4.7 range, most of the Bruin wide outs probably have far more impressive weight room numbers than he does, and he has the frame(and body fat) of a nose tackle, but he is a damn fine football player.”
“No doubt BYU has a solid and very big O-line, but none of these guys were big-time recruits. Brian Price was the most talented lineman in that stadium yesterday and it isn’t even close, but he sure didn’t play like it. I think BYU has exactly 2 guys on their roster(frosh TE Austin Holt and OL Reynolds) who had offers from the Bruins. In the weight room, in a camp environment, in 7-on-7′s, etc. UCLA trounces the Cougars solely on sheer athletic ability; somehow for the Bruins this did not translate onto the gridiron. Individually BYU had the better FOOTBALL PLAYERS yesterday and the better team, they did not have more talent.”
Note: Wonder if Bronco Mendenhall will ask Pitta and Unga who their personal trainer is.