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BYU Football: A strong mix of players named Cougar team captains

By Shaun Gordon

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Cornerback Rasul Douglas #13 of the West Virginia Mountaineers runs back an interception for a touchdown past Brayden El-Bakri #35 of the Brigham Young Cougars during the first half at FedExField on September 24, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Cornerback Rasul Douglas #13 of the West Virginia Mountaineers runs back an interception for a touchdown past Brayden El-Bakri #35 of the Brigham Young Cougars during the first half at FedExField on September 24, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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BYU Football will have eight team captains in 2018. The eight that will lead the Cougars this season bring a wealth of different experiences to the table.

– A high-profile recruit who opened up about his battles with depression and anxiety.

– A former walk-on who battled tooth-and-nail to earn playing time and a scholarship.

– A non-LDS athlete who’s looking to have a breakout year in 2018.

– A player who’s faced Honor Code discipline and come back even stronger.

Those four players make up half of BYU Football’s team captains, who were named on Monday. Kalani Sitake decided to go with eight captains this year, four on offense and four on defense:

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  • QB Tanner Mangum (Sr.)
  • FB Brayden El-Bakri (Sr.)
  • WR Micah Simon (Jr.)
  • OL Austin Hoyt (Sr.)
  • DE Corbin Kaufusi (Sr.)
  • LB Butch Pau’u (Sr.)
  • LB Sione Takitaki (Sr.)
  • LB Zayne Anderson (Sr.)

The four players mentioned at the top of the article are Mangum, El-Bakri, Simon, and Takitaki respectively. And it’s not as if the other captains don’t have their own unique experiences to add to the Cougars’ leadership.

Pau’u had a monster sophomore season in 2016, then failed to live up to expectations in 2017. Just like Mangum, he’s trying to prove that last season was a fluke.

Anderson is switching positions as a senior, and he’s risen up the depth chart after spending two years on special teams.

Hoyt has been the steadiest contributor among the captains, making his presence felt on the offensive line in all three previous years.

Kaufusi knows what it’s like to be stuck in the shadows of an older brother in the NFL, and he’s also played two different sports at BYU.

Whether or not these eight are going to be good leaders is an argument for another time. Or better yet, we can let the Cougars’ performance on the field be the judge.

But the depth of the captains’ experience should help them relate to just about every single player.

Need help adjusting to the LDS culture at BYU? Talk to Micah Simon.

Struggling with mental health issues? Tanner Mangum can empathize.

Feel like you’re buried in the depth chart? Get some tips from Zayne Anderson and Brayden El-Bakri.

Run afoul of the Honor Code? Sione Takitaki is there to help you through it.

These captains come from different backgrounds and have different experience, just like the team as a whole.

And in a game where unity is essential, these players have the tools necessary to unify a diverse team.

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