I saw a video on Bronco Mendenhall where he seemed a lot more like the person I had met in the first couple of years just after he became DC at BYU. Since these Bronco-on-the-go segments aren't particularly highly viewed and he was being interviewed by Cam Treu (Bam Bam's Owner) instead of Greg Wrubell, it appears Bronco was a lot more relaxed on the segment than his usual interview persona. People who only know the Bronco persona from the media that meet him for the first time are often surprised and this interview both demonstrates and speaks to that very issue.


Watch this video on YouTube


Bronco essentially acknowledges that he puts on a different persona for the media, which is absolutely intentional, and he does this for two reasons: (i) first and foremost, as a representative of BYU he does not want to say anything that will embarrass the University or the church and he'd rather be boring than mess that up by going off script and making headlines for the wrong reasons, and (ii) the media have their own agenda (pot stirring, making headlines, finding support for their own preconceived...or pre-written article) and so he resists that by giving them the same canned answers that they hate. This was a great interview ahead of the Cal game.

BTW, I'm not implying that Bronco and I are on a first name basis or anything, just that I've met him and chatted with him in a setting with just a couple of other people present and this was very similar to what I remember that conversation being like. I was really surprised when I saw his first few interviews as a head coach. As a side note, it looks like they do these segments at Bam Bam's BBQ, which is some of the best BBQ I've ever tasted in Utah or anywhere else. I have friends who only go down to Provo because of that restaurant and if you haven't been to Provo in the last couple of years, it's worth putting on your list the next time you are in happy valley.