Many in the college sports world have chatted about Built Brands’ partnership with BYU football to sponsor scholarships for the team’s 36 walk-on players. The deal has proven to be one of the most comforting and viral sports stories of 2021, putting the football program back in the national spotlight.
The video of the announcement raked in over 21 million social media impressions in just two days, but you won’t be seeing walk-on quarterback and “number one employee” Nick Billoups any time soon.
“I can’t see the video of the announcement,” said Billoups. “Every time I watch this video, I get emotional. I’m just happy to be part of a family and to feel wanted. “
Billoups, a freshman from the University of Utah, was the first player summoned by Built CEO Nick Greer to receive news of his scholarship, followed by wide receiver Talmage Gunther and eventually all of the team’s walk-ons.
Calling the announcement “humiliating” and “a miracle,” Gunther noted the stress both he and his wife have to pay for school and support their growing family while facing the extreme time investment of a college athlete have to ask.
“My first thought wasn’t ‘yes!’ For me it was more like, ‘Oh thank god my wife will be so happy!’ Now she doesn’t have to worry so much about the finances, ”said Gunther. “I grew up with BYU and always wanted to come here and do everything I can to help the team win.”
BYU has a long history of walk-in excellence, with notable stars like Chad Lewis, Dennis Pitta, and Ezekiel Ansah, all of whom have succeeded on a professional level after flying under the radar in Provo.
“I have this love for walk-ons because they sacrifice the most and they are willing to pay for it in so many different ways. You will always have a part of my heart in this football program, ”said head coach Kalani Sitake. “I am glad that they can be raised and that they have the opportunity to feel responsible for this team.”
At the start of the fall camp, Sitake had expressed his wish that each of the walk-ons could receive a scholarship, and less than two weeks later, Built made it a reality. While the financial burdens of tuition fees are gone with the Built partnership, the team’s walk-ons aren’t trying to lose the fire that got them to this point.
“For me it is an additional motivation and a privilege to be here,” said defensive lineman Mikey Petty about the partnership. “I don’t want to waste it just being a guy who wears a jersey. I want it to be worth it when I’m here and not let the time go by. “
Petty, who played with quarterback Zach Wilson at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, originally accepted a scholarship in southern Utah, but felt the need to reconsider it upon his return from his mission in the Philippines. After seeing Wilson and other colleagues doing well at BYU, feeling like he could bet on himself, Petty moved to battle for a spot in Provo.
“I was really interested in BYU; It was where I wanted to be, “said Petty. “I really thought about where I wanted to be and saw my friends do well and decided to take a risk because I felt like I can keep up at that level and make a difference for the team.”
Like Petty, wide receiver Hobbs Nyberg turned down scholarship opportunities to pursue his own lattice dreams. As the 2018 Utah 4A Most Valuable Player in baseball, Nyberg hoped to play both baseball and football in college but was unable to reach such an agreement. He had originally signed up to play baseball at BYU, but after two years in the program, he felt the itch to play soccer again.
“I realized that I missed football and that I only went to college once, so I thought that if I wanted to change something, I had to do it (right then),” said Nyberg. “I just made the decision to give up my scholarship to try something new and get back to what I loved most, and it was definitely the right decision.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled baseball season in March 2020, Nyberg began getting back in shape for football and found a spot on the BYU year squad.
“I’ve always tried to play with a chip on my shoulder and prove otherwise. “I was lucky enough to get punt return last year and try and I will do everything I can to help the team.”
Co-recipient Tanner Wall agreed that playing as a walk-on provides a competitive advantage, but he was quick to point out that the team’s culture has broken down any barriers that might separate players due to scholarship status.
“I think that walk-ons sometimes have an additional motivation to prove the skeptic otherwise and to prove that we belong, but I think that’s just a competitive mentality and doesn’t reflect the BYU team culture,” said Wall. “There is no class system within the team when it comes to fellows and non-fellows.”
Wall – a rare East Coast recruit for the Northern Virginia Cougars – spent the final year with Petty and two other walk-ons: kicker Justen Smith and defensive lineman Hunter Greer. While he doesn’t believe that walk-on players are “wired differently,” Wall said their relationship as a unit is based on pushing and encouraging one another. “I see these guys make sacrifices every day and it’s very motivating.”
“The whole coaching staff is just trying to play against the top 11 guys at all times,” said Petty. “We have had a lot of people who have been successful, who started out as walk-ons and got scholarships, so we know a lot of people who understand this mentality and can identify with you.”
One such success story is receiver Dax Milne, who entered the program as a walk-on in 2018 and led the Cougars with 1,188 yards last season. Milne was drafted by the Washington Football Team last April, survived several rounds of cutbacks during training camp, and is set to secure a place in the team’s final line-up after an impressive camp performance.
“Dax was the perfect example for all of us. He gave all of us hope to know that anyone can do it no matter where you start, ”said Nyberg. “It just shows that hard work pays off.”
Wall wrote to current teammates Tyler Allgeier and Payton Wilgar as additional inspirations. “These are all people I look up to, who bet on themselves and have climbed to the top of the depths. Success stories definitely shape the team’s running culture and inspire us. The trainers set the standard for the program because they value each of us no matter which way we got here. “
As they battle for opportunities to make a contribution, the walk-ons see the opportunity they have been given as something greater than just what is happening on the field.
“Before announcing the class, Nick (Greer) told us that he had been a huge (BYU) fan all his life, which was a great reminder for me of the privilege to play at BYU” said Petty. “That cannot be taken for granted. So many people see (BYU football) as light. “
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