I've creeped on Cougarboard for years! I finally decided it was time to get on here with you all. I must admit that I am way more nervous than I should be posting anonymously to a fan board. I've religiously read so many of your posts for years and I get on during and after every game.

I always told myself that if I ever joined Cougarboard, the first story I would tell would be an epic true story of attending Lavell's last rivalry game in 2000 and almost getting the crud beat out of me by a group of U fans after the game, only to be saved by a family member who incidentally is a huge U fan. But that story must wait for another day.

Several years ago I walked into Elder's Quorum one Sunday and there was Jake Heaps sitting all by himself. The room was pretty empty at the time, and we didn't have a ton of big sports fans in the ward, so I doubt anyone else even recognized him. I nervously walked up and sat right by him and struck up a conversation. After five minutes of talking to him, I was so embarrassed with myself. Here was this guy that I had dogged on for years because of his poor QB play at BYU. I had mocked him mercilessly for the 2011 debacle. And after talking to him for 5 minutes, he was seriously the nicest, most genuine guy. He was trying to make the Jets roster and was out in NY/NJ all by himself at the time, without his wife, and he was attending church in-between practice sessions on a Sunday. I wouldn't have faulted him for taking a nap or studying the playbook, but there he was in church. He was quiet and unassuming, but incredibly friendly and confident. I didn't ask him about his time at BYU because I didn't trust myself to not get red in the face from how much I had dogged on him. But he brought it up on his own and asked me if I was a BYU grad and said he loved the school and wished things had worked out differently. I sensed no animosity from him.

He changed my perspective on players and coaches that day and how I talk about them.

That's all for now. Carry on.