Aaron Roderick Interview

[High Uintas]

Very informative interview with Coach A Rod today on 1280.

[89ute]

Anyone care to type up a recap for those us us who can’t listen at work?

Thank you.

[UtahSig]

It was interesting to hear A Rod gush about Troy McCormick. It’s like he couldn’t say enough good things about the kid. Makes me excited to get him back next year.

[bearded UTAH man]

we will need a healthy McCormick next year to be a playmaker, we lose Booker and Scott to graduation and Covey to a mission 🙁 ice up Troy

[UtahSig]

Plus a Senior QB. We are losing a lot next year, so I hope this year is really special. I will say, I think with guys like Troy, Joe Williams and others we have some pretty good talent waiting in the wings.

[Tony (admin)]

Is Covey 100% gone? I heard he was evaluating the season before he decided whether or not do a mission.

[Damage U]

I believe that was the story earlier this summer, but it seems to have changed to him going. Again, same as with High Uintas, I have no inside info.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Damage U.

[Puget Ute]

He is Mormon Royalty. His entire family will be disappointed if he doesn’t go, and they will keep serious pressure on him.

I just hope he doesn’t get sent to a mission where the President is a huge byu fan and swings him to the dark side, a la Harvey Langi.

[ironman1315]

Is that possible though since he didn’t redshirt or sit. I’m pretty sure that since he has a scholly and played BYU can’t poach him. And if a BYU MP does do that couldn’t Utah nail the Y for NCAA violations?

[Puget Ute]

I think the Riley Nelson rule and the Letter of Intent is only in force for 24 months.

The way he is going he could be a potent slot receiver like Wes Welker, especially after he puts on another 15#. He is roughly the same size, has fantastic hands, runs great routes, and is a bit faster than WW. I hope he doesn’t p**s away that opportunity to play in the NFL, but I fully understand the pressure to do the mission thing. My kids are getting the full-court press on it and my oldest is only 14.

I enjoyed some of the things on my mission, and I learned a new language, but overall it was a HUGE waste of time and effort. At least I learned that I would be a horrible used car salesman.

[Anonymous]

Does this really happen? And are you serious?

I just hope he doesn’t get sent to a mission where the President is a huge byu fan and swings him to the dark side, a la Harvey Langi.

I almost think it is the opposite spectrum of zoobism. Crazy notions in Ute minds much like beer dumpings etc.

[Puget Ute]

Langi’s MP was a Utah graduate, but was a big byu booster and iirc one of his kids or nephew plays sports (baseball?) down there. The reports at the time were that the MP made contact with the team down south to check whether they had a roster spot, spoke with his family about transferring, and filled Harvey’s head with delusions of the superiority of the life and college experience in provo. It is true that he would not have made the 5-deep at RB at UTah, but he could have been in the mix at LB (and I can’t understand why he didn’t want to play LB at Utah).

In the end he made a choice that is right for him. He can go wild on the field without repercussions at Nut Punch U, but they will make sure he keeps his hair trimmed Missionary Style. You know, all the higher morality garbage…

I hope Britain Covey spends a lot of time with Chase Hanson and Chooses the Right the way Chase did, and returns home to the U after completing his 2-year sentence.

[Anonymous]

Ok whatever your post is at least good for a laugh at BYU. But I doubt Langi had that happen.

[TheJuggernaut]

Don’t kid yourself, it happens.

[Anonymous]

So Whittingham just let’s this happen?

[ironman1315]

Assuming that this happens I am not sure there is much he could do except email the missionary player weekly if it is allowed by the MP. I am not sure I buy into this particular conspiracy theory, but there is significant pressure to support BYU in the mission world, for obvious reasons. I have heard firsthand accounts of missionaries praying for BYU’s success, especially at the MTC, which just so happened to be when the U won the Sugar Bowl. I had several companions insinuate I was poorer Mormon for not cheering for BYU, to which I promptly lit into them for that asinine behavior. I could only imagine what would happen if I was a sought after recruit. So there is a large amount of pressure, but I am not sure it is conspiracy like mentioned above.

[Anonymous]

I was in the MTC never prayed for a Football team or athletics. Again this is reverse zoobism. Call it booz.

[FormerUteSax]

When Bill Reilly interviewed him at fall camp he said he was definitely going. He said he decided before he even got to camp which made it easier for him. I don’t know if anything changed though.

[rbmw263]

Unless our season is wildly successful (Rose bowl or better) I dont see him staying

[High Uintas]

People who know Covey (I’m not one of them) insist that it’s 100% that he’s going.

[TheJuggernaut]

Someone on UFN said he’s already submitted his papers.

[Utemachine]

I would imagine the coaches are going to put some pressure on him to stay after the breakout season. While he’s a breakout talent would he be getting this much playing time only to leave for two years?

[Hockeybeard]

I doubt any coach at the U would pressure him to stay. I’m sure some are asking whether he is sure or not, but not pressuring him to forego mission plans. Too many RMs and Mormons on staff.

[5150]

Great stuff. Thanks for the link!

[Summit Ute]

Honestly why wouldn’t Covey go on a mission? It may take two years to get a solid QB again and by that time he can come back to a restocked roster.

[Puget Ute]

Chase Hanson will be a solid QB next year. Just sayin’.

I fear that Britain Covey will go the way of Britton Johnson, and never again have the same kind of success that he had his FR year.

[JDub1942]

I hope Covey does go on his mission. I have several reasons, its an experiance that is unparalleled in life. He’ll come back to us, he’ll still play 4 years, no loss there. He’s not going to come back lazy or fat, I think its proven how hard of a worker he is.
Finally, it will help with recruiting. Imagine you are an LDS parent and want your kid to go on a mission, maybe you are a BYU fan. Utah comes to recruit your kid, you are concerned that if he goes to Utah for a year he wont go on his mission. But wait, they point out Britain Covey, you watch football of course you know who that is. Oh yes, he played for a year, was a star, got no pressure not to go, went on his mission, came back to Utah. If covey goes on his mission in will help with instate and out of state LDS recruiting.

[Anonymous]

I’m more Mormon than anyone on this board, and I have to disagree strongly with anyone who thinks Covey going on a mission is a good decision. Fast twitch muscle fibers that aid in speed and quickness disappear and don’t come back to a 100% after two years of inactivity. The decrease in athletic ability is not debatable.

The way church missions are these days, the kids are not allowed to grow up or become more mature either. Covey is already very mature. A mission would be more likely to make him more immature. Missionaries these days live with members and don’t proselytize. They only teach member referals. It’s a 2 year EFY is what it is. For those not familiar, EFY stands for Especially For Youth. It’s a program that brings teenagers together to go to church classes and activities for a week.

The modern day church mission, in my opinion, is a giant waste of time. The only purpose it serves is to allow the parents of the missionary to speak proudly of their missionary in church, and for the missionary to be able to say he fulfilled that commandment and was loyal to the church. That’s all a modern day mission does.

[JDub1942]

At first I thought, how can someone be more mormon than someone else? Then I saw your user name.

very entertaining read though, but you science is way off.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by JDub1942.

[Utemachine]

Are in state Mormon athletes a priority target now or has the bar been raised on the kids they go after? I know in the MWC days the in state Mormon athlete could be make or break for your recruiting class. Is that the case now, my point being I’m not sure the impact of an Lds parent seeing Covey go on a mission outweighs the benefit of him staying and playing 4 years in a row.

[JDub1942]

Is it as important as it used to be? I dont think so. But I do think it is still important, and they dont have to be in state kids either. The football being played in High School in this state is way above what it used it be, so this may only affect a couple kids a year, but these players are better than they used to be and we are losing kids to out of state programs too. I just think it makes a difference in locking down our borders, and I think it could bring in an out of state mormon or two, and you never know when one of those will eventually be a game changer. What if seeing covey go on a mission gets us a future covey-ish player?

Sorry, lots of thoughts, not sure how to organize them.

[Puget Ute]

I am glad Covey came to Utah. There will be LDS kids like him in the future. The program needs to maintain that mission-friendly policy that Ron McBride started back in the early 90s.

But I am also happy that getting those kids is not a make-it-or-break-it deal for Utah. In this interview ARod give effusive praise to Troy McCormick. It is nice to know that the cupboard is still completely stocked, even when a breakout player like Covey chooses to leave for a mission.