While most Utah football players would never be caught dead sporting any sort of BYU apparel now, a few grew up as fans of the Utah rival.
Quarterback Chase Hansen recently came back from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and said plenty of people were telling him they were happy to have him at BYU.
“I got back and everyone was telling me where I was going, and it was weird,” Hansen said. “It seems like the common thing. You play football, you go on a mission, and all of a sudden you’re going to the ‘Y.’ ”
Hansen assumed people were saying this because of his family history, since his dad and uncles previously played for the team down south.
“My whole family was BYU,” Hansen said. “You could say I’m the black sheep, but that’ll change. My grandpa and dad love it up here [now].”
Hansen once was a big fan of the rival, but he said the coaching staff, the Pac-12 and the opportunity to play on a big stage with a great team changed his mind.
“One day I came to the light, and things clicked,” Hansen said. “This is the best place for me.”
Jason Whittingham lived in Provo for 10 years and grew up watching the Cougars because, like Hansen, he had relatives who played for them. After realizing Utah was the place to be, Whittingham claims he’s much better off now and has “his head on straight” at the U.
With the family connection and the fact that BYU did not recruit Whittingham, it was a no-brainer to become a Ute.
“Even if BYU had talked to me, I don’t think it would have made a huge difference. Just knowing my uncle [head coach Kyle Whittingham] was up here [at the U] and how good of a coach he is and how better of a person he is,” Jason Whittingham said.
Another player with Utah County ties is Pita Taumoepenu, who originally grew up in Tonga but moved to Provo his senior year in high school. Since he had only been in Utah for such a short amount of time, Taumoepenu bled blue for a while.
“All I knew was BYU football,” Taumoepenu said. “I didn’t even know Utah or anything else. I thought BYU was pretty cool back then because I was living in Provo.”
Aside from Utah being in a Power 5 conference, the sense of family within the program is really what won Taumoepenu over.
“My first day over here made a difference,” Taumoepenu said. “I never took an official visit over here. I just showed up, and people were around me, and it just feels like family. This is home for me, and it made me want to stay here.”
Evan Moeai agrees with Taumoepenu and said after his visit, he knew this was where he wanted to finish his college career.
“When I came for my trip they made it feel like it was a family,” Moeai said. “The family atmosphere definitely contributed, and I loved the coaching staff.”
Moeai played at Snow College before coming to Utah, and after growing up in Provo said that although his family was never against the Utes, they still had a hard time trading in their colors. But for Moeai, it was the right call to rock the crimson and white.
“I grew up a BYU fan,” Moeai said. “Things couldn’t have worked out better. I’m happy to be here. It’s been a little bit of a transition for my family, but I love being here, and I’m definitely converted.”
Andrew Santiago, wide receiver for the Utes, also had parents who had to exchange their blue for red when he committed to the U. Santiago’s father was a place kicker in the ‘80s for the Cougars, and his uncle is the associate athletic director in Provo.
Despite the intense rivalry between the two schools, Santiago said his support from home has not been affected by his commitment to Utah.
“My family was pretty die-hard BYU,” Santiago said. “[But] they’re supportive, and they love me.”
Before Santiago went to serve an LDS mission, he said he visited the Utah campus where he met with Kyle Whittingham, who said he could walk on to the Utes if he wanted to once he got back. The coaching staff and the program itself is part of what enticed Santiago.
During the 2008 Sugar Bowl where Utah beat Alabama, Santiago can distinctly remember turning to his dad and saying he would love to play for a school like that.
“My dad kind of rolled his eyes because we were BYU fans,” Santiago said. “It’s been a great experience and a true blessing that I actually ended up here and I’ve loved it.”
@kbrenneisen