Editor's note: In anticipation of the 121st college football season in Utah, DeseretNews.com writer Jay Yeomans is ranking the 50 greatest Division I college football players of all time from the state of Utah. We're counting down the 50 days until Sept. 1 when Southern Utah at Utah and Weber State at Utah State kick off at 6 p.m. Rankings are based on what the player did during his college career.
39. Virgil Carter, BYU, quarterback (1963-66)
While his numbers don't compare to those of quarterbacks from later years, Carter was the first in a long line of great passers to play in Provo.
He was a two-time all-conference selection and the WAC player of the year as a junior and senior. Along the way, he set 24 BYU records, 19 WAC records and six NCAA records, according to BYUCougars.com.
His most impressive season came in 1966 when he led the nation in total yards (2,545) and total touchdowns (30). That year, he threw for 2,182 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 363 yards and nine scores on the ground to finish 11th in the Heisman Trophy voting.
For his BYU career, he completed 44.4 percent of his passes for 5,125 yards and 50 touchdowns. He also totaled 1,225 yards and 18 touchdowns in the running game.
Jay Yeomans is a sports writer for DeseretNews.com. Contact him at jyeomans@deseretdigital.com.