Luke Staley

I saw this on the other board, so I'm sure you all have already seen this. Thought I'd spread the love over here.



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My most memerable Staley moment came in '01 against Utah. One of the final plays in the 4th qtr. Doman pitches the ball to Staley as he burns past everyone down the sideline for a 30 yd TD run.

Sometimes I am sad for guys like Luke until I remember that he not only got to play football for BYU, but that he was a total stud for BYU. I never came close to doing either of those things, I am very happy with my life and consider it a success.



Honestly, though, the biggest thing that I regret for Luke was that he didn't serve a mission. He went to the neighboring high school and we were freshman at BYU at the same time, but by the time I got back from my mission (and he would have been coming back from his, had he gone) he was done with football.



I have no problem looking my son in the eye and telling him I didn't win the Doak Walker Award, but I would kick myself every time I would have to look him in the face and say I didn't serve a mission.

So what if he didnt serve a mission? What is the point of putting someone down for their decisions in life? You went on a mission, congratulations you are better than everyone else that didnt.

Isola, we must have been about the same age. Staley exploded while I was on my mission, and I don't ever remember him playing.

That's a personal decision. Because Staley didn't go on a mission, he wouldn't have his wife and two sons. Granted... That very well possibly could be the same result if he did go on a mission.



I think he probably regrets leaving BYU early for the draft MORE than not serving a mission. But that's my assumption. All speculation.



It also sounds like, he doesn't miss playing football one bit!

declocoug wrote:
Isola, we must have been about the same age. Staley exploded while I was on my mission, and I don't ever remember him playing.

Was Staley from Washington? Or you guys from Washington?

BigCougsFan wrote:

Isola, we must have been about the same age. Staley exploded while I was on my mission, and I don't ever remember him playing.

Was Staley from Washington? Or you guys from Washington?

If memory serves, he's from Tualatin, Oregon...

Oregon

BPcougs wrote:
So what if he didnt serve a mission? What is the point of putting someone down for their decisions in life? You went on a mission, congratulations you are better than everyone else that didnt.

I'm not putting him down at all. The guy was a stud and it sounds like he still is.



There are lots of important things in life, and football isn't one of them. Even Luke knows this since he is completely done with football. Now making a career and supporting your family is important and that may have been his plan, but a mission doesn't preclude that. Just ask John Beck, Austin Collie, Dennis Pitta, Bryan Kehl...and even Luke's fellow freshman running back Fahu Tahi, who served a mission, played 4 years at BYU and is still in the NFL.



I can't say that had I been in his position I would have made a different decision. However, while I know plenty of people who regret not going, I can't think of someone who looks back and says they regret serving a mission.

declocoug wrote:
Isola, we must have been about the same age. Staley exploded while I was on my mission, and I don't ever remember him playing.

I came to BYU in '99 and left in May 2000. If you were there at the same time then you too must have done something wrong in the pre-existence. Three years before I got there they were in the Cotton Bowl. First year I am there, we go 8-4, lose to Utah and lose the bowl game. I leave for my mission and right before I come back they go 12-2. Then I get back and they go 5-7, 4-8, 5-6 and I managed to stick around for a 6-6 and bowl loss. Then I graduate and the next 4 years they go 43-9 and then comes the Heaps era.



What did I do wrong to deserve this? This is the reason I will not go back for a graduate degree...I worry what it would do to the program.

Isola wrote:
Sometimes I am sad for guys like Luke until I remember that he not only got to play football for BYU, but that he was a total stud for BYU. I never came close to doing either of those things, I am very happy with my life and consider it a success.



Honestly, though, the biggest thing that I regret for Luke was that he didn't serve a mission. He went to the neighboring high school and we were freshman at BYU at the same time, but by the time I got back from my mission (and he would have been coming back from his, had he gone) he was done with football.



I have no problem looking my son in the eye and telling him I didn't win the Doak Walker Award, but I would kick myself every time I would have to look him in the face and say I didn't serve a mission.

Luke and I dated roommates (actually sisters) while he was a freshman at BYU. He was a really good guy. I even talked to him about going on a mission once. At the time he seemed like he was really considering it. Not sure what happened.



All I can say is it is a really good thing we don't have to be perfect.

Isola wrote:

So what if he didnt serve a mission? What is the point of putting someone down for their decisions in life? You went on a mission, congratulations you are better than everyone else that didnt.

I'm not putting him down at all. The guy was a stud and it sounds like he still is.



There are lots of important things in life, and football isn't one of them. Even Luke knows this since he is completely done with football. Now making a career and supporting your family is important and that may have been his plan, but a mission doesn't preclude that. Just ask John Beck, Austin Collie, Dennis Pitta, Bryan Kehl...and even Luke's fellow freshman running back Fahu Tahi, who served a mission, played 4 years at BYU and is still in the NFL.



I can't say that had I been in his position I would have made a different decision. However, while I know plenty of people who regret not going, I can't think of someone who looks back and says they regret serving a mission.

I regret that any skill position player or basketball player goes on a mission. The exception would be when we are stacked at their position and having them on the shelf for 2 years is a benefit, then send them to Fui Vakapuna's mission so they can come back as cut as he was. Send the linemen somewhere they can eat well for two years.



Had Tyler Haws not gone on a mission I think we could have won the NCAA tournament even without Davies.



I'm ecstatic that Heaps is getting married so that it guarantees he won't go on a mission.



It's a love-hate relationship being a non-lds BYU fan...

"If if's and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas"



If Luke Staley had remained healthy and stayed in school for 4 years he would still hold every record for a running back. BYU has never had anyone before or since that had his combination of speed, power, and good hands.

I attended college from Jan 1990 to 1994. Not exactly banner years for BYU athletics, either. But I have season tickets now, and I enjoy it every bit as much now as a I did when I was a kid, a student or whatever. Actually, I enjoy it more now because I have more money to enjoy it with, which gets me to an away game each year. It is a life long love affair.

frdbtr wrote:
"If if's and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas"



If Luke Staley had remained healthy and stayed in school for 4 years he would still hold every record for a running back. BYU has never had anyone before or since that had his combination of speed, power, and good hands.

This is probably true, although his production probably would have gone down without Doman around in 2002, and teams keying in on him. Can you imagine running an option play with....Engemann? :sick:

redneckjedi wrote:

"If if's and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas"



If Luke Staley had remained healthy and stayed in school for 4 years he would still hold every record for a running back. BYU has never had anyone before or since that had his combination of speed, power, and good hands.

This is probably true, although his production probably would have gone down without Doman around in 2002, and teams keying in on him. Can you imagine running an option play with....Engemann? :sick:

Doman and Staley perfected the option together. Staley was amazing at running down the sidelines with his power and speed. They definitely complemented each other.

redneckjedi wrote:

"If if's and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas"



If Luke Staley had remained healthy and stayed in school for 4 years he would still hold every record for a running back. BYU has never had anyone before or since that had his combination of speed, power, and good hands.

This is probably true, although his production probably would have gone down without Doman around in 2002, and teams keying in on him. Can you imagine running an option play with....Engemann? :sick:

Staley's running would have opened the passing game more in 2002 then it was. BYU's running attack was pretty feeble then. Of course we lost a lot of olineman in 2001 too and were rebuilding in 02. I still think that he would have been very productive in 02 and BYU may not have had a losing year that year if he had stayed. Just watch some of the games on replay, they guy was flat out fast. Guys would go after him with what appears to be a good angle and he would out run them. Ronnie Jenkins is the only other back I can recollect that had that kind of speed and he didn't have anywhere near the power that Staley had. Staley was also awesome as a reciever, rarely dropped balls. Harvey Unga had the power and the hands but not nearly as fast and look what he did.

Isola wrote:

So what if he didnt serve a mission? What is the point of putting someone down for their decisions in life? You went on a mission, congratulations you are better than everyone else that didnt.

I'm not putting him down at all. The guy was a stud and it sounds like he still is.



There are lots of important things in life, and football isn't one of them. Even Luke knows this since he is completely done with football. Now making a career and supporting your family is important and that may have been his plan, but a mission doesn't preclude that. Just ask John Beck, Austin Collie, Dennis Pitta, Bryan Kehl...and even Luke's fellow freshman running back Fahu Tahi, who served a mission, played 4 years at BYU and is still in the NFL.



I can't say that had I been in his position I would have made a different decision. However, while I know plenty of people who regret not going, I can't think of someone who looks back and says they regret serving a mission.

I know one who does (of course he's not active). I am one who didn't serve. What a mistake!! I believe that most of the big mistakes and problems I have had along the way relate to that big mistake. I'm paying my dues now... second stint as ward mission leader! ;)

I think what was missing from 2002-2003 was my presence. I go on a mission, and the whole football team just falls apart! And when I came back, they started putting the pieces back together. ;)



Seriously though, I couldn't have timed it any better. VERY glad I went when I did and missed out on all the bad football while I was gone.

If Norm Chow hadn't burned Doman's redshirt for a few plays at WR in 1999, he would have been a SR in 2002.