Chuck Snowden would send his son Will to play football at BYU again if he had another chance.
Why?
Because of a promise Chuck made to the first Mormon he ever met, a teammate at New Mexico State University in the early '60s.
This story is part of Chuck Snowden's book entitled "White Men I Love, White Men I Hate," a collection of essays by Chuck, now retired and living in Seattle. Snowden will be at Borders in Orem today from 2 to 4 p.m., for a book signing. He's staying this weekend with his son Will, who lives with his wife Courtney and five kids in Utah.
Will played running back for the Cougars from 1997 through 2000 and gained 273 yards on 69 carries and scored one touchdown. No, Will's impact wasn't huge at BYU during a time there was Ronney Jenkins. But he is one of many black athletes to traverse the Cougar campus, and like others such as Jamal Willis, have thrown anchor here.
This past year, more than a handful of black athletes have struggled with the law and BYU's Honor Code. The headlines have been ugly. This local interest chapter in this book is the story of a success story, a prediction and a promise fulfilled.
Snowden's book isn't entirely about Will and BYU, although the foundation for his son's career at BYU is explained in a chapter that includes impressions about his first meeting with then coach LaVell Edwards.
The book isn't as much of a race-based chess board as the title might indicate. In simple terms, it is a celebration of some of the white men who have positively influenced Chuck Snowden's life — and some he really doesn't care for, like Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist and President Woodrow Wilson.
Still, Chuck Snowden's unique book provides classic insight into American life and as a well-respected and gifted writer, with a penchant for dialogue and telling stories, this book gives a candid and sometimes shocking review of behavior that's crossed his way.
Chuck uses an alter ego — Ghengis Snow — to write pieces he'd just as soon wince as he criticizes.
If you know Chuck Snowden, a former Boulder, Colo., middle school teacher, you see a positive-minded, faith-promoting man who'd ordinarily stay away from casting stones at anyone.
Chuck sent his son Will to BYU football camps, the kind that are going on right now on campus, since he was in the seventh grade. His oldest son Chuck had no interest in the Cougars and ended up playing for the University of Colorado for Bill McCartney during that national championship season for the Buffs.
"When he was just in the seventh grade he met Coach Edwards, Coach (Chris) Pella and (Lance) Reynolds, and he was surprised how honest and sincere they were about a black being at a school that is 99.9 percent white. Will also met Steve Young, and I think meeting Steve pushed Will over the top about BYU," writes Snowden.
Still, the impetus for the local chapter was Snowden's friendship with Brad Lee, a Mormon, whom Snowden says never got a fair shake from his coach Warren B. Woodson because he was an LDS athlete.
Snowden weaves the story of this friendship with Lee into a debate about LDS doctrine and a revelation by the late LDS prophet Spencer W. Kimball to extend the priesthood to all worthy males, including blacks in 1978.
It is that debate, and a prediction by Lee, that led Snowden to vow he'd one day send one of his sons to play football at BYU — before he had any sons. This is covered in one chapter entitled "My First Mormon Friend."
Writes Snowden: "I often talked to Brad about being a Mormon, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning or until dawn. Sometimes we would talk all night and then go out for breakfast. Over eggs, bacon, orange juice and coffee for me, I would listen to Brad talk about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the Tablets of Gold, the problems in Illinois, the great journey to Utah, and the Angel Moroni. We would also compare the Book of Mormon to the Bible."
So, what's this all got to do with sports? Well, this book includes a lot of sports figures including former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne and mentions about former USU coach Tony Knapp.
But it's perspective is unique from a historical view of an outsider to Utah with an insider's interest.
Part humor, but much of it deadly serious, Snowden's 318-page book (Classic Day Publishing) is part philosophy and sermon, with a pretty sharp hand-slap on the pulpit. Snowden's already received letters from the likes of Osborne and Edwards and even former President Bill Clinton.
It's a good read from an impassioned author who is even a better man, husband and father.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com