Meet Brigham Andrus

PROVO, Utah – Junior Brigham Andrus has always loved being at BYU, but he is now enjoying his time in Provo even more after making his way back to the court following injuries to both knees. Learn more about Andrus, including how he got into tennis and his mindset on playing again after nearly a year off.

Choosing Tennis

Andrus’ mom played tennis in high school, so she signed up her son for tennis lessons to see if he liked the sport as well. He did—and ultimately grew up playing both tennis and basketball. Andrus decided to focus on tennis full-time when he was 12, a move that coincided with increased success at various junior tournaments.

His background in a tennis family meant Andrus and his brother, Brocton, both ended up playing at BYU. They were teammates during the 2020-21 season, which Andrus says was a dream come true.

Choosing BYU

Andrus graduated from Lone Peak High School in 2018 and chose to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before coming to BYU. He went to Buenos, Argentina, and learned Spanish. Andrus also saw BYU as a great option for returned missionaries, which became another factor in his collegiate decision.

“I was born and raised a Coug, it was always my dream to play for BYU. Once I started getting recruited, that was definitely my number one option,” Andrus says. “I have always wanted to serve a mission, and BYU is the best way to go as a missionary as well. It's the perfect spot for me. And my name is Brigham, so it's written in the stars already.”

A Long Road Back

An injury to both knees during his sophomore season was initially supposed to keep Andrus out for around three months, but he eventually missed nearly a year. “I’ve never had a knee problem in my life, so it was super out of nowhere. It was really hard for me because I was off to a hot start and then it got shut down out of the blue,” he says.

Andrus was able to play in one doubles match in the fall before playing his first singles match in 11 months this spring. He featured in the season opener against Idaho State despite initially being named as a reserve for that match.

“That match was crazy,” Andrus recalls. “I got cleared a couple of weeks before and I definitely didn't feel ready or expect myself to be in the singles lineup. But stuff happens and I got my name called that day. I was more stressed at the moment than excited, but as I got out there I let loose a bit and had a good match. I played really well and was able to win, so that was a good feeling.”

Enjoying Tennis

Now, Andrus is focused on returning to full strength and capitalizing on more potential wins, especially in singles. But regardless of what happens on the court, Andrus says he is just happy to be a part of the team at BYU.

“My injury was hard, but it was refreshing at the same time. Tennis sometimes gets tiring mentally and I sometimes forget how much I love the sport and how much I enjoy it,” he explains. “It was a good refresher to be forced to sit out and now that I'm back I've enjoyed it a lot. I don't feel 100 percent back necessarily, but it's been a lot more enjoyable knowing that it's a blessing to be out there. Being on a college team is tiring, hard and stressful, but going through it with people I consider my best friends also makes it a lot easier.”