Craig Denney has two sons in the NFL. All three of his boys
have played for his alma mater.
But his excitement for football only goes so far.
"(It) doesn't last forever," he said.
It's not that Craig and wife Sheri don't care much for the
sport or support their sons in their playing careers. Quite the opposite is
true.
What matters most to the Denneys, however, is that Ryan,
John and Brett are good husbands, fathers and members of the LDS Church.
"That is what's important, not what they do for a
living," Craig said.
The Denneys are, unmistakably, a football family.
Craig played offensive line at BYU from 1969-73, while Sheri
grew up watching the game with her father and playing touch football.
Ryan Denney has been a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills
since being drafted in the second round in 2002. John Denney is a long-snapper
for the Miami Dolphins, while Brett — whose career ended recently — was a
two-year starter for BYU at defensive end.
Watching three boys progress through varying levels of the
sport was at times exhausting. During one season, Ryan was playing at BYU in
Provo; John at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho; and Brett in high school in
Thornton, Colo. Craig and Sheri attended all but seven of their sons' games,
sometimes driving all night to get to the next one.
"We were crazy," she said.
Supporting each other was just what the family did, Sheri
says. During Ryan and John's high school careers, younger brother Brett "slept
on every bleacher in Colorado." If one of her children ever balked at
attending a sibling's game, the answer was always "too bad."
Since 1999, the Denney name has been on the BYU football
roster every season except 2005. Football, however, was never the family's
quest, Sheri says.
The Denneys didn't allow their boys to play football until
the eighth grade. They were active in other sports but had to play a musical
instrument if they wanted to participate in athletics.
All four children played the violin at a young age. John and
older sister Kimberly stuck with it, while Ryan and Brett moved on to piano.
Church and school were unspoken expectations. Sheri jokes
that the boys always had a choice — "They could go to church happy or
unhappy," she said — but Craig says they had "enough room to make
their own decisions."
"And they made some good choices," he said.
Among those was Mormon missionary service. Ryan (Buenos Aires,
Argentina), John (Morristown, New Jersey) and Brett (McAllen, Texas) all served
full-time missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As the boys became more involved in sports as teenagers, the
Denneys made a family decision not to compete on Sundays. Ryan and John now
have jobs that require Sunday play, but Sheri says her sons have found ways to
make church a priority.
In Buffalo, Ryan often left the team hotel before home
games, put on a suit and attended sacrament meeting with his family. He's served
in the Young Men presidency — either in Buffalo or in his offseason home in
Alpine — for the past eight years. John has served as a Sunday School
president and currently works with the Scouts, holding Cub meetings weekly. He
recently played the violin at an Eagle Scout court of honor. Both also do
firesides.
Professional football has afforded the brothers
opportunities to share their faith. According to John, the first question a
player gets in the NFL is where did he play college ball. For those who answer
BYU, "the follow-up question is always, are you Mormon," John said.
"It really opens up the door. I've really had a lot of
opportunities to talk about the gospel."
Ryan and John have played the past five seasons in the same
division, meaning their teams face each other twice a year. They've been on the
field at the same time during field-goal and extra-point attempts, but Ryan
says the brothers don't share more than a glance.
"You want to keep it professional," he said.
The night before the game, however, they get together for a
few hours and hang out as a family. Ryan is married with three daughters and
one son, while John is married with three sons.
"It doesn't happen enough," John said. "It's
still a neat experience."
Brett has decided not to pursue a career in professional
football. He graduated in finance, and is currently interning and interviewing
for jobs. He and wife, Kristy, are expecting a baby.
"I admire him as well, going on and doing his own
thing," Ryan said. "I think he's made a good choice for him and his
family."
E-mail: ashill@desnews.com