Ross Apo’s Journey Back to Texas
By Mitch Harper
June 4th, 2009. A day that many Cougar fans will remember for the rest of their blue-blooded lives. Quarterback Jake Heaps, Linebacker Zac Stout, and Wide Receiver Ross Apo all heralded recruits, committed to play for BYU as part of the 2010 recruiting class.
It was a historic day for BYU Football. BYU was coming off a 10-3 season in 2008. A season that saw BYU receive unprecedented hype. However, BYU didn’t live up to the “BCS Buster” tag they received in the pre-season, while their rivals up north did. The second time Utah appeared in a BCS bowl game. Many who follow BYU Football were wondering what it was going to take for the Cougars under Bronco Mendenhall to reach a new level as a program. Then the best lunch you could imagine at Iggy’s Sports Bar & Grill took place on a cloudy day in downtown Salt Lake City.
For those who follow recruiting closely, Ross Apo was a name on BYU’s radar since he was 14 years old. Apo attended BYU summer camps while in middle school, and he was going away from those camps as the best Wide Receiver. Regardless of age.
BYU offered Apo a scholarship shortly after the Arlington, Texas native completed his Freshman year in high school in 2007.
BYU doesn’t offer many recruits before their Sophomore year. It speaks to the natual talent and upside Apo possessed.
In March of 2009, Apo committed to the Longhorns. It was a surprise to many. No one could fault his decision though. Getting an opportunity to play for the hometown Longhorns is something nearly every H.S. football star in the state of Texas dreams of. Apo was able to live that dream. But was it the dream situation? A talent like Apo never comes through Provo. While Austin, sees them time and time again. As the news sinked in many chalked it up to another case of a heralded LDS recruit leaving BYU at the alter. Only this time it was in Spring, and not late January.
Jake Heaps was BYU’s #1 recruiting target in the 2010 class. Heaps formed a bond with Apo at a Nike Palo Alto Camp, and the two couldn’t imagine the thought of not playing on the same team. At the camp, Apo was spotted wearing shorts of Texas’ red river rival, Oklahoma. Was Apo keeping his options open? Heaps who always had BYU as a favorite started to bring BYU into focus again for Apo.
Heaps, Apo, Zac Stout, and suspended LB (at the time) Kyle Van Noy all formed a friendship through camps and other outlets that made the group come together. They had a common resolve that they wanted to bring BYU Football to another level. They saw what this football program was capable of. Ross Apo was fully invested and ready to make the difficult call to Texas Head Coach Mack Brown.
Brown told Apo he wanted the talented WR to stay a member of the Longhorn family. The lure of Texas wasn’t enough to overpower the friendships and endless opportunities for success that BYU offered.
In Apo’s Senior season at Oakridge High School in Arlington, Texas, Apo saw first hand how loyal, strong, and true BYU fans are. The second game of the season for Oakridge against Sunnyvale landed on the same weekend as BYU-Oklahoma in Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Hundreds of BYU fans showed up to see Apo and his future BYU teammates on Oakridge, Tayo Fabuluje and Teu Kautai. For a tiny private-school that hardly sees 100 people show up to their games, it was an impressive showing by the BYU faithful.
After helping lead the Owls to a 9-2 record in his final season, Apo joined Heaps in the U.S. Army All-American Game. Then it was off to BYU.
