A simple game of flag football changed senior Ryan Petersen’s life.
Petersen, Utah’s new walk-on wide receiver, initially caught the eye of Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham with his speed, skill and athleticism in his MVP showing in the 2013 edition of the MUSS flag football game. After torching the opposing defense and repeating as MVP in the 2014 game, Whittingham had seen enough from the speedy Petersen and decided to invite him to train with the team over the summer.
“I asked him if he had eligibility left, where he was in school, trying to figure out what he had left. Turned out he had a year left, so we invited him out,” Whittingham said.
Whittingham noted Petersen’s quick feet, good hands and overall athleticism as reasons why he invited the long shot senior to train with the team. It wasn’t just an empty invitation — Whittingham had confidence that Petersen could make the 105-man roster.
“What we saw with the speed and athleticism, it is what it is,” Whittingham said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against, if you show that individually, then you’ve got a chance.”
Petersen admits he was surprised by Whittingham’s interest, but said his hard work and good work ethic always gave him the confidence that he could play at the next level.
Petersen only played football through his sophomore year of high school in his hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho. After succumbing to multiple injuries as a middle linebacker that season, Petersen hung up his football pads in order to focus on basketball and baseball.
Now the 5-foot-11-inch senior walk-on is playing a foreign position, one that takes a lot of time and effort to learn but better suits Petersen’s athletic repertoire.
“I haven’t played real football for six years,” Petersen said. “I played linebacker in high school, and now I’m playing receiver, which I’ve never played before in my life. I’m learning a lot of terminology, techniques, stances, releases, route combos and stuff like that.”
On-the-field techniques are not the only things Petersen has had to learn and adjust to. He now has to juggle a scholastic and athletic schedule that comes with the heralded student-athlete title.
“A lot of these guys talk about [football] being like a job, and if you want to be successful at it, then that’s how you have to treat it,” Petersen said. “It will be a whole other schedule to take care of and a lot of extra work, but it should be a good challenge, and I’m looking forward to it.”
While Petersen’s “Rudy”-like story has caught the attention of Ute fans around the state, it is unlikely he will find much time on the field as a receiver. The Utes feature one of the most dynamic receiving corps in the Pac-12 with players like Biletnikoff Award finalist Dres Anderson, Kenneth Scott, Dominique Hatfield and fellow walk-on turned starter Tim Patrick.
That being said, Petersen’s hard work has not gone unnoticed by Whittingham, who hasn’t ruled out seeing the newcomer somewhere on the field this season.
“He’s working hard in practice, he’s doing a nice job, and he may show up on special teams,” Whittingham said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Offering advice to other aspiring walk-on collegiate athletes, Petersen said, “Never stop competing if that’s something you’re looking to do. Always keep those competitive experiences and keep yourself in shape. Keep your ear to the ground, and if something comes up, take it and run with it. Be thankful for the opportunities you have, and don’t miss those shots.”
The first chance MUSS members will have to see Petersen and the Utes take the field will be this Thursday, Aug. 28, as they take on the Idaho State Bengals at Rice Eccles Stadium. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. MT.
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