By SCOTT BELL
Ben Cahoon doesn't fit the mold. In fact, he busts the mold to pieces.
Usually, major college and NFL receivers are in the 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-4 range, and weigh somewhere around 210 pounds. The prototype standout receiver can sprint 40 meters in about 4.4 seconds.
Then there's BYU's Cahoon. He is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 in the BYU media guide, even small for a Cougar receiver. But his height measurement is under dispute.
'That depends on who's measuring,' Cahoon said when asked his height. 'I've always been 5-foot-10, I got here and I was barely 5-foot-9, so I don't know.'
Cahoon won't reveal his 40 time.
'That's classified,' Cahoon said, joking. 'No really, the 40 is all human error anyway. I've run some real fast times and I've also run some slow times, so it depends on who's timing.'
Whatever the case, Cahoon is effective. The senior has pulled down 25 receptions in BYU's first four games this year, for a total of 500 yards. Despite his lack of size and speed, Cahoon has been leaving the opposing defenders groping time after time on the playing field.
Cahoon relies on precise routes and a pair of hands LaVell Edwards called the best he has ever seen to work his offensive magic.
'A lot of times, it's knowing when to break off a route, knowing how close to a defender to get before putting a move on him, and being able to run precise, deceptive routes,' Cahoon said. 'A lot of that doesn't take speed. Steve Largent got open all day long and he was slow. Maybe he was slower than I am, I don't know.'
Cahoon's moment to shine has been a long time coming. He prepped at Mountain View High in Orem, where he stared in football, basketball and soccer. After an LDS mission to Philadelphia, he was off to Ricks College.
His time there was record-setting. He set a school record for receptions in a season (78) and in a career (90). In his second year, his 78 receptions were the second most nationally among junior college players. He also accounted for 1,146 yards that year, third most in the nation.
Cahoon redshirted his first year at BYU in 1995. Last year, he played sparingly behind K.O. Kealaluhi, totalling 11 receptions for 166 yards.
'Last year was a little bit frustrating, just knowing that I could be out there and be contributing,' Cahoon said. 'But at the same time, we had receivers that were getting the job done, so it was just a matter of waiting, being patient and knowing that my time would come.'
Now that his time has come, Cahoon is definitely making the most of it. The BYU record for receiving yards in a season is 1,241 by Andy Boyce in 1990. If Cahoon stays on his current pace, he will finish with 1,375 yards, not including a possible WAC championship game and bowl game appearance.
So while Cahoon may not fit the standard receiver mold, he is fitting for the Cougars just fine.