Recapping 30th anniversary reunion of 1984 national championship

Over 40 former BYU players from the 1984 national football championship team gathered last Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium for their 30th reunion.

Among the two-deep returning for the gathering at the Cougar Room were defenders Jim Herrmann, Shawn Knight, Leon White, Alema Fitesemanu, Ladd Akeo, Marv Allen, Jay McDonald, Cary Whittingham, David Neff, Steve Haymond, Korey Rasmussen and Shane Shumway. From the offensive two-deep were Adam Haysbert, Richard Off, Glen Kozlowski, David Mills, Lance Lindley, Louis Wong, Robert Anae, Trevor Matich, Dave Wright, Robbie Bosco, Kelly Smith and special teamers Robert Parker and Lee Johnson.

The group heard remarks from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, president of BYU in 1984; team captains Herrmann, Kozlowski and finally from reunion coordinator Bosco and Coach LaVell Edwards, now 84 years old.

“I loved you in `84 and I'm crazy about you 30 years later. The real investment wasn’t that year,” Elder Holland said. “The older you get, the more important three things will be to you: your family, your friends and your faith. However diverse and different those families and friends and faith are you seem to me to still represent the very, very best of that.”

“There’s not a day that goes by that someone doesn’t remind me about the championship,” said Herrmann. “There’s only one anomaly in the last 30 years and that’s us. We were the original, only, first, true-blue busters; the BCS was born because of us here.”

“Leon (White) looks like he could still play,” teased Kozlowski of the former NFL linebacker who raised his index finger to say he might be able to play one more game. “Memories are great, I wish back then I would have told Adam (Haysbert) and (Mark) Bellini how great they were. LaVell brought out the best in all of us.”

"I rarely think about games and scores, but it's about people and what they are doing in their lives today," Edwards said. "In visiting here tonight, I'm more proud of you now than when you were playing."

"I was pleased with the amount of players, coaches and those associated with the program that came back for this," Bosco said. "It was a special event never to be forgotten."

Former assistant and graduate assistant coaches attending from 1984 were Mel Olson, Lance Reynolds and Ken Schmidt along with Dennis Miller (current head coach at Wisconsin Lutheran) and Charlie Stubbs (recent head coach at Nicholls State).

Those in attendance paid respects to over a dozen players and administrators who had passed away from that 1984 team. The deceased included players Mark Allen (July 2006), Jason Briggs (December 1984), Paul Crawford (August 1985), Craig Garrick (September 2002), and Scott Norberg (June 1996). Among the former administrators and coaches who have passed are Mel Darrington (equipment manager), Dick Felt (coach), LaRae Hawkins (ticket manager), Floyd Johnson (equipment manager), Ollie Julkunen (trainer), Jay Monsen (broadcaster/publicist), Marv Roberson (trainer), Dave Schulthess (sports information director), and Pete Witbeck (assistant athletic director).​