By SCOTT BELL
bell@du2.byu.edu
Following the 1997 season, BYU's thinking at the wide receiver position was similar to a familiar Arby's marketing slogan: Different is good.
A lot of things went wrong in last year's 6-5 season. Inexperience and injuries played a big role in a downer season. But one major shortcoming the coaching staff committed to addressing was a lack of size and speed in the receiver corps.
Throughout the LaVell Edwards' era, the Cougars have never been known for producing pro-caliber receivers. The offense got along just fine with strong-armed quarterbacks throwing to undersized receivers who ran precise routes.
But last season, as Ben Cahoon, Aaron Roderick and their colleagues got pounded week in and week out, coaches decided it was time to upgrade the team's wide receivers. So in the off-season Cougars inked a pair of junior college All-Americans in Jonathan Pittman and Tacoma Fontaine. Both stood at least six feet tall and could fly. In addition, freshmen Eugene Childs and Michael Westbrook signed out of high school.
Only one small problem. Of the four, only Westbrook is still with the team. Fontaine was suspended for a year after being caught with marijuana in the spring. Pittman and Childs both failed to qualify academically. So basically, the team is back to where it started.
'Obviously we felt like we had a chance to improve ourselves,' offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. 'We went after three guys we thought could help us, we got all three, and ended up with none. But you can do two things. You can whine about it, or you can get the guys you do have to go to work.'
The receivers will have the advantage this year of playing with an experienced quarterback. Both Kevin Feterik and Drew Miller have starts under their belts. But still, the improvement of the receivers is a big factor in determining the return of the traditional pass-happy Cougar offense.
Roderick, a 5-foot-9 senior, and 5-foot-10 sophomore Margin Hooks are penciled in as the starters. Roderick started last year, catching 14 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns. Hooks saw significant time, catching 19 balls for 324 yards and two touchdowns.
'I expect to be involved in the offense a lot more,' Hooks said. 'I expect to be one of the key guys. Last year, they kind of brought me along slowly. I'm expecting a good season.'
Behind Hooks and Roderick are four other wideouts who should get plenty of time in BYU's rotating-receiver system. Westbrook, Mike Rigell, Ben Horton and David Steel are all expected to contribute.
Westbrook is the second cousin of the Washington Redskins' Michael Westbrook. He stands 6 feet tall and prepped at Lakes High in Washington -- the same school Miller and Rigell attended. He was named honorable mention All-America by USA Today last year.
Rigell redshirted last season. He is the shortest of the bunch at 5 feet 7 inches. Horton returned kickoffs last year. The 5-foot-11 sophomore clocked a 4.4 in the 40 as a high school senior. Steel is a late transfer from Snow Junior College.
Over the summer, Rigell and Roderick stayed at Feterik's home in California for two weeks, and Hooks was there for about a month.
'Basically, we did it for football,' Hooks said. 'We were learning new techniques and working on our timing.'
The Cougars hope the extra work pays off this season because, despite the coaches' best recruiting efforts, basically the same receivers will be back running the field this year.