PROVO, Utah — As part of BYU's fall camp coverage, learn more about the great individual achievements in Cougar football history from its 100 seasons of football.
BYU embarks on its 100th football season on Saturday, Aug. 31 against Southern Illinois. Single game tickets are now on sale and season tickets are still available for the 2024 season.
Read about BYU's legendary head coach LaVell Edwards and the remarkable players that shaped its program below.
LaVell Edwards
The maestro who orchestrated BYU football’s march to national prominence, LaVell Edwards roamed the Cougar sidelines as head coach from 1972 to 2000. When Edwards assumed command of the Cougars, the program had won just 173 games over 49 seasons with only 14 winning campaigns, one conference title and had never been to a bowl game.
Edwards quickly changed the narrative at BYU with a winning season in 1972, the first of 28 in his 29 seasons. Over the remainder of his tenure in Provo, Edwards amassed a record of 257-101-3, 19 conference championships, 22 bowl berths and guided the Cougars to the 1984 National Championship. Edwards’ BYU career was further highlighted by 10-straight conference titles (1976-1985), 17-straight bowl appearances (1978-1994) and a 25-game winning streak stretching from the 1983 to 1985 seasons.
Edwards’ coached 50 All-Americans and 94 future NFL Draft picks along with winners of a Heisman Trophy, a Maxwell Award, seven Sammy Baugh Trophies, four Davey O’Brien Awards and two Outland Trophies. Six of Edwards’ players now join him in the College Football Hall of Fame. An eight-time NCAA District 8 Coach of the Year, Edwards also won Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1979 and AFCA National Coach of the Year in 1984.
Edwards established a remarkable era of stability at BYU, with 10 head coaches leading the program in the 49 seasons prior to his tenure while only three have followed in the 24 seasons since his retirement.
Following his retirement in 2000, Edwards and his beloved wife Patti served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New York City from 2002 to 2003. In 2004, Edwards became BYU's fifth addition to the College Football Hall of Fame. Edwards passed away at age 86 on December 29, 2016. Just a year prior to his passing, Edwards welcomed Kalani Sitake as the 14th head coach at BYU; the first of his former players to take the helm.
| NCAA Division I College Football All-Time Winningest Head Coaches |
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| Rank | Head Coach | Wins | Career |
| 1. | Joe Paterno | 409 | 1966-2011 |
| 2. | Bobby Bowden | 346 | 1970-2009 |
| 3. | Pop Warner | 336 | 1895-1938 |
| 4. | Bear Bryant | 323 | 1945-1983 |
| 5. | Alma Alonzo Stagg | 304 | 1892-1946 |
| 6. | Nick Saban | 292 | 1990-2023 |
| 7. | Mack Brown | 276 | 1985-present |
| 8. | LaVell Edwards | 257 | 1972-2000 |
| 9. | Tom Osborne | 255 | 1973-1998 |
| 10. | Lou Holtz | 249 | 1969-2005 |
Edwards’ 257 career wins still rank eighth all-time in NCAA Division I history. Only Edwards, Florida State's Bobby Bowden, Nebraska's Tom Osborne, Penn State's Joe Paterno, Georgia's Vince Dooley and Bill Snyder of Kansas State have cleared the 200-win mark while coaching at one school.
Edwards’ legacy is perpetually felt throughout the game as his former players continue to dot the sidelines as coaches in both the collegiate and professional ranks.
“He’s a legend. And as good a football coach as he was, he’s a better man and he did it the right way. He’s known throughout the country as a legend.”
BYU junior quarterback Ty Detmer put the nation on notice in 1990 as he led the Cougars to a 28-21 upset of No. 1 Miami with 38 completions for 406 yards and three touchdowns. Detmer’s performance against the Hurricanes propelled him on his way to winning the 1990 Heisman Trophy over fellow finalists Raghib Ismail (Notre Dame), Eric Bieniemy (Colorado), Shawn Moore (Virginia) and David Klingler (Houston).
The 6-foot, 175-pound native of San Antonio, Texas, led BYU to a 10-3 season and WAC Championship while completing 64-percent of passes for an NCAA-record 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns. A total of 47 NCAA records fell to Detmer in 1990.
BYU has had a player finish in the top 10 of the Heisman voting in 13 different seaons. Most recently, Zach Wilson finished eighth in 2020.
| Year | Player | Place |
| 1962 | Eldon Fortie | 10th |
| 1974 | Gary Sheide | 8th |
| 1976 | Gifford Nielsen | 6th |
| 1979 | Marc Wilson | 3rd |
| 1980 | Jim McMahon | 5th |
| 1981 | Jim McMahon | 3rd |
| 1983 | Steve Young | 2nd |
| 1984 | Robbie Bosco | 3rd |
| 1985 | Robbie Bosco | 3rd |
| 1989 | Ty Detmer | 9th |
| 1990 | Ty Detmer | 1st |
| 1991 | Ty Detmer | 3rd |
| 2020 | Zach Wilson | 8th |
BYU leads the nation with seven Sammy Baugh Trophy winners. The Sammy Baugh Trophy was awarded annually to the nation’s top passer by the Touchdown Club of Columbus from 1959 to 2018.
Gary Sheide, 1974: Sheide won the Cougars’ first Sammy Baugh with 2,174 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 60-percent of passes and guiding BYU to its first-ever WAC title, bowl berth and AP Poll appearance.
Marc Wilson, 1979: Wilson passed for 3,720 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading BYU to an 11-1 record, WAC title and No. 13 final ranking. With Wilson under center, the Cougars led the nation in total offense (521.4), passing (368.3) and scoring (40.6).
Jim McMahon, 1981: McMahon won the Sammy Baugh as a senior with 3,555 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 66-percent of passes and leading the Cougars to another WAC title and their third-consecutive season of 11-plus wins.
Steve Young, 1983: Young frustrated opposing defenses through the air and on the ground on his way to the 1983 Sammy Baugh. The slinging southpaw completed 71-percent of passes, including an NCAA-record 72-straight, while passing for 3,902 yards and 33 touchdowns in 1983. On the ground, Young added 444 rushing yards and eight scores while powering BYU to a WAC title, 11-1 record and No. 7 national finish.
Robbie Bosco, 1984: Bosco quarterbacked the Cougars to a 13-0 campaign and the 1984 National Championship with 3,875 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. The junior signal caller led BYU to a 20-14 win at No. 3 Pitt in his first collegiate start. Bosco finished the season as he powered through a knee injury to throw for 343 yards and two touchdowns while earning Holiday Bowl MVP in the Cougars’ 24-17 win over Michigan.
Ty Detmer, 1991: Despite opening the season against three top-25 teams and returning only two other starters on offense, Detmer passed for 4,031 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading the Cougars to an 8-3-2 record and third-straight WAC title. The senior gunslinger concluded his Cougar career with 62 NCAA records to his name.
Steve Sarkisian, 1996: Sarkisian collected BYU’s seventh Sammy Baugh as he led the nation in pass efficiency (173.56) while passing for 4,027 yards and 33 touchdowns. With Sarkisian under center, the Cougars won an NCAA-record 14 games, WAC Championship, Cotton Bowl Classic and finished No. 5 in the final AP Poll.
Jim McMahon won the first Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award in 1981. Steve Young earned the honor in 1983 while Ty Detmer won it back-to-back in 1990 and 1991. BYU’s four Davey O’Brien quarterback awards trail behind only Oklahoma’s five.
Detmer became the first to win the award in back-to-back seasons, with only Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1995-96), Jason White (Oklahoma, 2003-04) and Deshaun Watson (Clemson, 2015-16) following since.
Jim McMahon, 1981: McMahon won the Davey O'Brien as a senior with 3,555 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 66-percent of passes and leading the Cougars to another WAC title and their third-consecutive season of 11-plus wins.
Steve Young, 1983: Young frustrated opposing defenses through the air and on the ground on his way to the 1983 Davey O'Brien. The slinging southpaw completed 71-percent of passes, including an NCAA-record 72-straight, while passing for 3,902 yards and 33 touchdowns in 1983. On the ground, Young added 444 rushing yards and eight scores while powering BYU to a WAC title, 11-1 record and No. 7 national finish.
Ty Detmer, 1990: Detmer led BYU to a 10-3 season and WAC Championship while completing 64-percent of passes for an NCAA-record 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns. A total of 47 NCAA records fell to Detmer in 1990.
Ty Detmer, 1991: Despite opening the season against three top-25 teams and returning only two other starters on offense, Detmer passed for 4,031 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading the Cougars to an 8-3-2 record and third-straight WAC title. The senior gunslinger concluded his Cougar career with 62 NCAA records to his name.
Detmer’s 1990 postseason awards tour included the Maxwell Award alongside the Heisman Trophy and Davey O’Brien Award. After passing for 406 yards and three touchdowns in BYU’s 28-21 win over No. 1 Miami, Detmer went on to pile up 4,076 passing yards and 34 touchdowns over the next nine weeks. Detmer garnered 1,993 points in the Maxwell Award voting and won in the same order of finish as the 1990 Heisman.
The Maxwell Football Club has honored the nation’s top college football player with the Maxwell Award annually since 1937.
Since 1946, The Football Writer’s Association of American has awarded the Outland Trophy annually to the nation’s best interior lineman. BYU’s Jason Buck and Mohammed “Mo” Elewonibi gave the Cougars’ two Outland winners in a four-year period during the late 1980s. BYU and Notre Dame are the only two programs with an Outland winner and a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in conseuctive seasons.
Jason Buck, 1986: Buck began his career at Ricks College before transferring to BYU in 1985. As a senior in 1986, Buck racked up 59 tackles (26 solo), 13 tackles-for-loss, 17 quarterback hurries and 12.5 sacks on his way to winning the Outland Trophy.
Mo Elewonibi, 1989: Elewonibi first played football at Snow College before transferring to BYU where he became known as “Mount Mohammed” and won the Outland Trophy. The 6-5, 290-pound Nigerian-Canadian offensive guard anchored a Cougar offensive line that helped Ty Detmer break or tie 13 NCAA records in 1989. Elewonibi posted four games in 1989 with perfect pass protection while helping BYU to a 10-3 record and WAC Championship.
While BYU made its mark on college football with prolific passers, Luke Staley stole the national spotlight in 2001 as the nation’s top running back. Staley rewrote the BYU rushing record books in 2001, toting the rock 197 times for 1,582 yards and 24 touchdowns along with 32 receptions for 320 yards and four scores.
The junior from Tualatin, Oregon led the nation in scoring (15.5 points), yards per carry (8.1) and finished third nationally in rushing while averaging 143.8 yards per game. With Staley pounding through opposing defenses, BYU posted its fourth season of 12-plus wins, secured a Mountain West Conference Championship and ranked as high as No. 8 in the AP Poll.
Staley finished his BYU career with 2,493 rushing yards and 48 total touchdowns, 41 of which came on the ground. Staley’s BYU single-season rushing record stood for two decades until current Atlanta Falcon Tyler Allgeier broke it with 1,601 in 2021.
College Football Hall of Fame
In addition to former head coach LaVell Edwards, BYU boasts six former players-turned College Football Hall of Famers.
Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Gordon Hudson, Ty Detmer and legendary head coach LaVell Edwards comprise BYU’s seven inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame. Founded in 1951 by the National Football Foundation, the Hall of Fame has inducted fewer than 1300 of the estimated 5.1 million to play the game.
BYU and Notre Dame are the only programs with three consecutive starting quarterbacks-turned Hall of Famers. The Cougars rank second to only the Fighting Irish with a future Hall of Famer on nine-consecutive rosters (1975-83).
Gifford Nielsen (QB, 1975-77; inducted 1994): Nielsen led BYU to a 9-3 record, share of the WAC title and a Citrus Bowl berth as a junior in 1976 while passing for 3,192 yards, 29 touchdowns and breaking 13 WAC records.
With Nielsen under center in 1977, the Cougars outscored their first three opponents by a combined score of 158-25 on the way to a 3-0 start and No. 13 spot in the AP Poll. Nielsen suffered a season-ending injury at Oregon State in BYU’s fourth game of 1977 but still finished his collegiate career with 5,830 passing yards and 55 touchdowns.
Marc Wilson (QB, 1976-79; inducted 1996): Wilson took over at starting quarterback for the Cougars following Gifford Nielsen’s season-ending injury in 1977. The sophomore signal caller began his collegiate career with a bang as he completed 15 of 25 passes for 332 yards and seven touchdowns in BYU’s 63-17 win over Colorado State. Weeks later, Wilson set an NCAA record with 571 passing yards in a 38-8 win versus Utah.
Wilson led BYU to nine wins in 1977 and 1978 followed by the program’s first-ever double-digit win campaign at 11-1 in 1979. The 6-5, 204-pound quarterback set 15 NCAA records while passing for 7,637 yards and 61 touchdowns. A true student-athlete, Wilson also received the NCAA Top Five Award and its post-graduate scholarship.
Jim McMahon (QB, 1977-81; inducted 1998): McMahon took control of BYU’s offense in 1980 and kept the juggernaut rolling as the Cougars outgained opponents by nearly 200 yards per game on their way to a WAC Championship, 12-1 and 12th-ranked finish. No moment proved more illustrative of McMahon’s potent arm and powerful leadership than a 20-point comeback in the final 3:58 of play to beat No. 19 SMU 46-45 in the 1980 Holiday Bowl. McMahon brought BYU back to ultimate victory over the vaunted “Pony Express” with 446 passing yards and four touchdowns, including his game-tying 41-yard Hail Mary to tight end Clay Brown.
The Roy, Utah native totaled 9,536 career passing yards and 84 touchdowns while setting 75 NCAA records at BYU. McMahon also led the nation in pass efficiency and total offense during both his junior and senior seasons.
Steve Young (QB, 1980-83; inducted 2001): Before becoming a two-time NFL MVP, seven-time Pro Bowler and 1995 Super Bowl Champion, Young set 13 NCAA records as a BYU quarterback.
The lefty threw for 3,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons on the way to totaling 7,733 passing yards and 56 touchdowns for his career with a .651 completion percentage and passer rating of 149.82. Young threatened opposing defenses on the ground as well with 269 career carries for over 1000 yards and 18 touchdowns. As a senior in 1983, Young led the nation in completion percentage (.713), passing yards (3,902), total offense (4,346) and touchdowns (33) while finishing second to Mike Rozier of Nebraska in the Heisman voting.
Gordon Hudson (TE, 1980-83; inducted 2009): The hallmark of BYU’s tight end tradition, Hudson earned back-to-back consensus All-American honors in 1982 and 1983. Hudson rolled up 2,484 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns during his BYU career and still holds NCAA FBS tight end records for most passes caught per game in a career (5.4), most career yards per game (75.3) and most single-game yards (259). BYU compiled a 42-8 record during Hudson’s Cougar career.
Ty Detmer (QB, 1988-91; inducted 2012): After winning a Heisman Trophy, Sammy Baugh Trophy, two Davey O’Brien Awards, the Maxwell Award and two consensus All-America citations, Detmer became BYU’s seventh College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2012. Detmer amassed 15,031 career passing yards, with three seasons surpassing the 4,000 mark to go along with 121 touchdowns and 63 NCAA records to his name.
Retired Jersey Numbers
Nine BYU football players have had their jersey numbers retired.
6
Robbie Bosco, Luke Staley and Marc Wilson had their No. 6 jerseys retired on September 16, 2017.
Robbie Bosco, QB, 1982-1985
Bosco quarterbacked BYU to the 1984 National Championship with a perfect 13-0 record. He was 24-3 as a starter at BYU and broke nine BYU record. In just two seasons as the Cougars’ starter, Bosco tallied 8,148 passing yards and 66 touchdowns. Bosco was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft and went on to coach quarterbacks at BYU from 1990 to 2003.
Luke Staley, RB, 1999-2001
Staley won the Doak Walker Award in 2001 with 197 carries for 1,582 yards and 24 touchdowns along with 32 receptions for 320 yards and four scores. The junior ball carrier led the nation in scoring (15.5 points), yards per carry (8.1) and finished third nationally in rushing while averaging 143.8 yards per game. With Staley in the backfield, BYU posted its fourth season of 12-plus wins, secured a Mountain West Conference Championship and ranked as high as No. 8 in the AP Poll. Staley’s single-season BYU rushing record stood until 2021.
Marc Wilson, QB, 1975-1979
Wilson threw for 332 yards and seven touchdowns in his first collegiate start as a sophomore in 1977. Weeks later, Wilson set an NCAA record with 571 passing yards in a 38-8 win versus Utah. Wilson led BYU to nine wins in 1977 and 1978 followed by the program’s first-ever double-digit win campaign at 11-1 in 1979. The 6-5, 204-pound quarterback set 15 NCAA records while passing for 7,637 yards and 61 touchdowns.
9
Jim McMahon's No. 9 was retired on October 3, 2014.
Jim McMahon, QB, 1977-1981
With McMahon at the controls of the Cougar passing attack, BYU outgained opponents by nearly 200 yards per game on their way to a WAC Championship, 12-1 and 12th-ranked finish. McMahon permanently etched his name in college football lore with his 41-yard, comeback-completing Hail Mary in BYU’s 46-45 win over No. 19 SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl. The Roy, Utah native totaled 9,536 career passing yards and 84 touchdowns while setting 75 NCAA records at BYU. McMahon also led the nation in pass efficiency and total offense during both his junior and senior seasons.
14
Gifford Nielsen and Ty Detmer's No. 14 jerseys were retired on September 1, 2007.
Gifford Nielsen, QB, 1974-1977
Nielsen led BYU to a 9-3 record, share of the WAC title and a Citrus Bowl berth as a junior in 1976 while passing for 3,192 yards, 29 touchdowns and breaking 13 WAC records. With Nielsen under center in 1977, the Cougars outscored their first three opponents by a combined score of 158-25 on the way to a 3-0 start and No. 13 spot in the AP Poll. Nielsen suffered a season-ending injury at Oregon State in BYU’s fourth game of 1977 but still finished his collegiate career with 5,830 passing yards and 55 touchdowns.
Ty Detmer, QB, 1988-1991
BYU junior quarterback Ty Detmer put the nation on notice in 1990 as he led the Cougars to a 28-21 upset of No. 1 Miami with 38 completions for 406 yards and three touchdowns. Detmer’s performance against the Hurricanes propelled him on his way to winning the 1990 Heisman Trophy. Detmer went on to add a Sammy Baugh Trophy, two Davey O’Brien Awards, the Maxwell Award and two consensus All-America citations. Detmer amassed 15,031 career passing yards, with three seasons surpassing the 4,000 mark to go along with 121 touchdowns and 63 NCAA records to his name.
8
Steve Young had his No. 8 jersey retired on August 28, 2003.
Steve Young, QB, 1980-1983
Young threw for 3,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons on the way to totaling 7,733 passing yards and 56 touchdowns for his career with a .651 completion percentage and passer rating of 149.82. Young threatened opposing defenses on the ground as well with 269 career carries for over 1000 yards and 18 touchdowns. As a senior in 1983, Young led the nation in completion percentage (.713), passing yards (3,902), total offense (4,346) and touchdowns (33) while leading BYU to 11-straight wins and a No. 7 national finish.
81
Marion Probert had his No. 81 jersey retired in 1977.
Marion Probert, DE, 1952-1954
Probert played defensive end at BYU from 1952 to 1954 and became the Cougars’ first four-year letterman. The three-time All-Skyline Conference performer led BYU in receptions in 1953 and received All-America honorable mention in 1954. Probert excelled in the classroom as well and earned Scholastic All-American in 1954 and 1955. Probert was killed in an airplane crash en route to BYU’s football game at New Mexico on November 27, 1965.
40
Eldon Fortie had his No. 40 jersey retired in 1963.
Eldon Fortie QB/RB, 1960-1962
Eldon “The Phantom” Fortie became BYU’s first-ever First Team All-American in 1962. A three-time WAC Outstanding Back of the Week, Fortie was also named Sports Illustrated Back of the Week in November of 1962. Following that season, Fortie was invited to four post-season all-star games and received the 1963 Dale Rex Memorial Award for his contribution to amateur athletics in Utah. The BYU student body formally retired Fortie’s No. 40 in 1963.