Who is Andrew Stacey? Well, besides being an outstanding student and a future geneticist, he's a free football player, a guy head coach Bronco Mendenhall jokes that he keeps around because his GPA elevates the team average.
Stacey, if anybody took note, got BYU's sixth turnover from UNLV on Saturday, an interception off quarterback Rocky Hinds.
"He's a guy who represents the guys who are closest to me," head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "He has enough ability, but he also has great heart. He has great worth ethic and he's just passionate to be at BYU, and it makes our program stronger."
In short, he's BYU's version of Notre Dame's Rudy.
Stacey is a guy who set his high school record for sacks as a defensive end in Cleveland. On offense, he played tight end, receiver and running back and turned down offers to play at Ivy League schools. Instead, he begged LaVell Edwards for a chance. Then begged Gary Crowton. Then begged Mendenhall.
You see, he has siblings and parents who went to BYU, his dream school. He had to follow by whatever means.
Stacey is a walk-on football player and pays his own way. He was the guy who made a heads-up fair catch signal on an onsides kick at the start of the San Diego State game and has a spot on special teams.
Stacey is a guy who is used to no glory, no status, a bare football existence. He's grateful to have a chance to wear shoulder pads and a helmet with that "Y" logo. Back in Cleveland, he sent his tapes to BYU coaches, and their response was always the same: No scholarship, but come and walk on.
"Eventually, we'll get the program to where every player has the same passion to be here that he does," Mendenhall said.
Stacey is one of the only guys around who played for the legendary Edwards. He redshirted in 2000 and played on the scout team.
Stacey refuses to make specific comments about comparisons with previous BYU coaching administrations. But he will speak out about Mendenhall's first and second years.
"It is a big difference under Mendenhall," Stacey said. "There is a focus to stand out in things off the field, like character and a person's religion, whatever religion that may be. That wasn't emphasized as much before, but it is now."
Slackers in life may be slackers on the field, Stacey said.
"If you cut class and take shortcuts, you're likely to take shortcuts on the football field. You are the same person. That's what I like about this team. You can feel the value of this. We respect each other as players, but we respect each other for their personal lives.
"There is an enormous difference from 2000," said Stacey. "I'm a big believer in the fact that if you are going to win on the field, you have to win off the field. You can't fake it on the field and not try your hardest off the field. I don't see how you can slack from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then be a hard worker from 2 to 6 p.m."
That's why Saturday's pick against UNLV loomed big for Stacey. It was more than an interception.
"It meant everything," Stacey said after Monday's practice. "It makes everything I do out here worth it. It added one to our ratio, and it counts."
Just how big was that interception? It helped the Cougars to move to No. 3 in the NCAA in turnover margin. His name is now etched in BYU's game stat book forever.
Stacey is currently on academic scholarship for a master's degree in statistics. He is a pre-med student currently accepted by the Ohio State and University of Cincinnati medical schools. He has an MCAT score of more than 30 and volunteers at a local emergency room weekly.
On Monday, after practice, he walked the line near Mendenhall and picked up an envelope that contained a helmet sticker for his efforts. Stacey has as many of these Cougar stickers on his helmet as anybody.
Andrew's brother Ricky remembers two years ago when Andrew was discouraged and almost quit.
"He was down, real down," Ricky said. "It looked like the coaches were going to pass him by again and he thought of quitting. But he kept going and not three weeks later he was asked to be on the sidelines for the first time. He's climbed ever since."
The weird thing is, Stacey says all the groveling and lowly work of scout and special teams play has been worth it.
Perhaps Mendenhall really has brainwashed this kid with his tent sermons. But at 5-2 overall, Kool-aid might just be the drink of choice.
Said Stacey: "A scholarship check might be important to some people, but I'd rather be a part of this team than any Big Ten or Ivy League team."
Wow, now that's some kind of passion.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com