The best part of it is we’ve actually felt like we are part of the program, part of the team. Those inside of the program have made us feel like we are part of the deal. – Marty Haws
LAS VEGAS — Marty and Tiffanie Haws have felt the joy and agony of every mile this season watching their son Tyler finish his record-breaking senior season in a BYU uniform.
Saturday before BYU played Santa Clara, Tyler was named one of the 15 finalists for the John Wooden Award as NCAA player of the year and his jumpshot with 2.5 seconds left in the game was the winning bucket against Santa Clara Saturday night in the Orleans Arena.
They’ve seen their share of airports and rental cars, hotels and security lines from Maui to San Diego and from Portland to Spokane. They’ve logged enough travel to circle halfway around the earth, about 12,456 miles.
And they’d do it all again.
And, quite frankly, they absolutely will.
Son No. 2, TJ Haws, returns from missionary service to Lyon, France, in 13 months and will begin his freshman year as a Cougar in the spring of 2016.
“It’s kind of feast before the famine,” said Marty. “We’ve definitely enjoyed going to every game that Tyler has played this year, home and away, and next year will be the first time in a long time we won’t have either one of them playing (at BYU or Lone Peak High). Sure, Tyler will be playing somewhere, but we’ve got a break for a year, and we’re already lamenting it.”
Sharing popcorn at a basketball game is rare for Marty and his wife.
Being parents of two Utah Mr. Basketball sons has often required them to split up, one watching Tyler and BYU play somewhere while the other went to support TJ and Lone Peak High School. Even last year, they went on a few BYU road trips together but often felt they were missing something at home. This year, they gave in and just went wherever the Cougars played.
But together isn’t always together, even with adjoining airline seats, all that eating out and having tickets for seats next to one another in the stands.
“We were together at Portland and Gonzaga, but my wife didn’t even watch the end of the Gonzaga game,” said Marty.
What?
Wasn’t that the game of the year so far? One of the biggest upsets in college basketball?
A week ago when BYU upset No. 3 Gonzaga in the Kennel, a remarkable and emotional night, Tiffanie was there but didn’t know who’d won the game until a few minutes after the buzzer sounded.
Being the mother of a star player can be agonizing. It can twist you up and wring you out like a rag.
Tiffanie left her seat next to Marty with just under five minutes to play in the game and the Cougars in the lead. During the last media timeout, Tiffanie got out of her seat, went to the concourse and found the restroom where she sat with her hands covering her ears.
At some point in her hideway, Tiffanie heard a band playing and took that to mean the game was over. “So I wiped the tears from my cheeks, left the restroom and when I got to the hallway, I saw all these Gonzaga fans and the look on their faces was not happy.”
She then made her way down to Marty and joined in the celebration.
“It’s not the first time that’s happened,” said Marty. “She just gets a little anxious and that’s the way she deals with it once and awhile.”
The Haws have been on all of BYU’s road trips. “We’ve enjoyed it very much. We know we are in the middle of something special and we’ve tried to enjoy every minute of it. It’s been really special.”
So, what has been the best part of this season, being front and center as their oldest son has plowed through his remarkable senior season?
“The best part of it is we’ve actually felt like we are part of the program, part of the team. Those inside of the program have made us feel like we are part of the deal.”
I asked Marty what the worst part of it was.
“What’s the worst part?” he asked his wife.
We both thought we heard Tiffanie say, “Marty’s driving.”
“No,” said the former BYU star guard, “There isn’t really a worst part. I think you take the losses probably as hard as anybody. It’s kind of a roller coaster. Overall, however, it’s been incredible.”
Dick Harmon, Deseret News sports columnist, can be found on Twitter as Harmonwrites and can be contacted at dharmon@desnews.com.