Considering all that happened to Tanner Mangum on the football field in 2015, it’s hard to believe that he just returned from his Mormon mission a year ago this week.
Mangum returned from the Chile Antofagasta Mission on June 3, 2015. In addition to being greeted by family and friends, he received a warm welcome via social media from BYU fans eagerly anticipating the playing career of the highly regarded quarterback out of Eagle High School.
They didn't have to wait long. Mangum impressed coaches and teammates in fall camp and was named the backup heading into the 2015 season. But when Heisman hopeful and senior starter Taysom Hill went down with a season-ending injury in the opener at Nebraska on Sept. 5, Mangum stepped in and delivered a Hail Mary miracle to beat the Cornhuskers. The short turnaround from missionary to football hero prompted a feature on ESPN.com.
A week later, he completed another late-game touchdown pass, this time to beat Boise State. He played out the season as BYU's starter and was even named freshman of the year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus.
Mangum enters 2016 in a high-profile quarterback competition with Hill, who decided to return to BYU after being granted another year of eligibility.