Jim Rome has been impressed with BYU football this season.
Two weeks after welcoming Kalani Sitake onto his eponymous radio program, the longtime sports analyst interviewed Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff to discuss BYU’s 8-0 start, facing rival Utah next, his Jewish faith and much more.
Here are some highlights from Retzlaff’s appearance on ‘The Jim Rome Show.’
On defying low preseason expectations
“We had a feeling in this building that we knew that nobody knew what was going to go on here in Provo. So just winter workouts, spring ball, leading in the summer training into fall camp, there was the feeling all along that we had the type of urgency and we had the type of team that can do something special this year.
“... I don’t think any of those media members actually showed up to practices and watched us play or anything. They just kind of based us off of last year. And last year obviously wasn’t the year we wanted to be, but with 50, 60 new guys in the building, we kind of got through last season as the new team in the Big 12. And now we’re a team, we’re a unit that’s united.”
On the culture within BYU’s program
“... Just the way this team plays together, the way we play for each other, the chemistry here, the culture here, I believe, is second to none. And Coach Kalani has set a standard, and the guys meet it every single day. It’s one of those things that’s a little bit intangible.
“It’s hard to really put a finger on what it is that brings this team across the finish line each week, but we do a good job playing together, man. The love for this team is second to none, and the urgency this offseason was at an all-time high. I don’t think anybody knew that we were acting as urgent as we were.”
On being part of a long tradition of successful BYU quarterbacks
“It’s an honor. I mean, just thinking about the guys who came before me, Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer, the recent guys like Zach Wilson, Jaren Hall, those are all great players. They’re the guys who laid the groundwork for me. So it’s just an honor for me to be able to play at this position and go out there and kind of represent those guys in a way being in the position now.
“It’s great, and I try to embrace every moment I can. It’s easy to get lost in the moment. So sometimes I like to take a step back and just realize where I’m at and then just go out there and play for everybody else around me.”
On making the move from Southern California to Provo
“It was a big transition. Provo is definitely a much slower-paced town than living up in the suburbs of (Los Angeles), Riverside County area. So it was an adjustment, no doubt.
“On Sundays, I had to figure out what to do. If it wasn’t for watching NFL football, I had nothing else planned. So once that season ended, my first winter here, it was like, ‘All right, what now?’
“So you had to kind of find things to do and then just tone down a little bit compared to the speed of Southern California. It’s definitely a lot different. Now, it’s got its benefits here because, you know, Friday and Saturday nights in LaVell (Edwards Stadium), those turn up like nothing I’ve ever seen in Southern California.”
On playing in the unique atmosphere at LaVell Edwards Stadium
“Our student section is the No. 1 student section in the country. You just got to see it to believe it. It’s unreal how loud this place gets. Our crowd helps win us games. The setting is unbelievable with the mountains in the background. The backdrop is the best backdrop in college sports and maybe any sport in the country. It’s up there with the top places in the country, no doubt.”
On facing rival Utah on Nov. 9
“It’s one of those rivalries where you take the records and throw them out the window, take history, throw it out the window, and just see what happens. We know it’s going to be a tough-fought battle. We’re up at their place, so we know it’s going to be a hostile environment. Their crowd doesn’t take too kind to the Cougars, so we’re excited to go up there and play a good game.
“We know it’s going to be tough. We know that especially on my side of the ball, that their defense is a tough defense. So it’s going to be a fun night. Obviously, the emotions are going to be high. I think what’s important for us is to manage our emotions throughout the game and just play our brand of football, because it’s been really good for us so far this year, and we just continue to do what we do. We’re going to be happy with the result.”
On being one of the few Jewish students at a Latter-day Saint-sponsored school
“It’s been kind of bizarre, man. I mean, coming to this campus, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. It was definitely a conversation I had with my parents before coming up here. It was like, ‘What is this about the church being so connected to the school? How is it going to affect the experience I have here?’
“And the conclusion we came to then, and what’s reigned true now, is just that we know I’ll be able to stay focused on the main thing. I’ll be able to keep the main thing the main thing. It’s something that we talk about here a lot, and it’s something that I’ve definitely focused on, and that’s keeping football the main thing, keeping school the main thing, getting myself a degree, because it’s a great education here at BYU, one of the best in the country, and then as well as a great football team.
“And so with the church being so involved, it limits distractions outside of that. There isn’t immense partying, there’s no Greek life that can get guys distracted. So it’s easy to stay focused on ball, and you start to care about ball and keep the main thing, the main thing.
“It does a lot for our team. I think it focuses guys who may get distracted somewhere else, and I think it’s good for us.”
On how his faith has affected his relationships with teammates
“Since the day I stepped on campus, it was all about respect. Lots of questions, though, a lot of curiosity, which has been awesome for me. I’ve been able to answer some questions ... and it’s been fun because I get to throw those same questions back at them.
‘We get to learn a little bit more about each other every time we have these conversations, and all that does is bring a team together. So I’ve been able to foster a great relationship so far just from that. It was easy to do that, and it just brought us all together. We all know we’re living by faith, and that helps everybody support everybody.”
On playing for Kalani Sitake
“Coach Kalani is the greatest mentor I’ve ever been around. He’s the best in the business. He does everything for the right reasons, 100%.
“... He holds us to the highest standards in college football, but at the same time, that’s why he recruited us, because he knows we’re going to fit into this culture and into this team and be able to succeed together.
“That guy is just incredible the way he connects to you, the way he connects to everybody around him. There’s not very many human beings that are better than Coach Kalani in this world.”
