LaVell Edwards Quotes on Education (6 Quotes)

He truly represents what you want to have in a college football player. He's achieved on the field, in the classroom and off the field, in the community.

Potential does not always ensure success. ... The greatest players have not always been the most endowed. In athletics, we often hear the phrase, 'He has the will to win.' I think this is wrong.... We can have the greatest will to do well. But unless we have prepared, it is of little use. Really, it should be the 'will to prepare.' Those who succeed have this will, whether it be in athletics, whether it be in school, whether it be in their chosen vocation, whether it be on a mission, or in almost any other phase of their life.

Current condition of the BYU football program I think it's in good shape. We've got some good young players. We've had two or three pretty good recruiting years. We lost some players, obviously, that hurt us, but you always have turnover in college through attrition (graduation, transfers). That's the nature of the game.

Commenting on the decisions of the Bowl Alliance regarding WAC teams It's a step, no question. Obviously, it's not what any of us wanted, but it's at least a step. We can now say we're part of the Alliance. However, I hope it's not perceived that they bought us off and we're going to go away. It's not fair. It's not right we still need to fight. We can't let them go away and hide. Other schools are taking a major share of the pot, and that's still a major sore point as far as I'm concerned. But at least this is a step, and better than what we had in the past.

My sons served excellent missions, and ... returned to participate in college athletics.... In their letters home, and even now that they have been back for some time, they frequently mention that the experiences in the mission field were the choicest and most gratifying of their lives. You young men, begin to prepare yourselves now for this marvelous experience.

After attending a banquet honoring the 1974 BYU team that won the Western Athletic Conference and went to the Fiesta Bowl. It was the first of Edwards' 18 WAC champions and 21 bowl teams. That was the group of kids that totally changed the direction of my life and the direction of our football program. We started 0-3-1 and won seven or eight in a row. They were the first bowl team in school history. I hadn't really accomplished anything yet. To see all those guys reminded me where we've been. It was an emotional night.