Unga wants to come back!!

[49erCoug]

Sorry if this is on another thread.. I didn't have a chance to go through all the Unga ones...

According to blogs.sltrib.com/byu Bronco says that Unga wants to come back in the most desparate way...

http://blogs.sltrib.com/byu/index.php.

Good read..

[gmj81]

Yeah, I think it was a pretty safe assumption that was the case. If he didn't love BYU or want to be here and live the Honor Code he had every opportunity to leave the last couple of years. Even out of high school he could have gone elsewhere but realized that BYU would help him get on the right path. He might not have been drafted high had he left early but he almost certainly would have been drafted either of the last two years. Once he got his foot in the door he could have just worked his tail off to stick in the NFL.

But he obviously does love BYU, wants to get his degree, and realized that he made a mistake that needed to be rectified no matter the cost.

[Mars]

BYU running back Harvey Unga, who withdrew from the school on Friday for violating the honor code, wants to return to the team “in the most desperate way,” coach Bronco Mendenhall said in today’s Mountain West Conferences coaches teleconference. Asked if Unga indicated he wants to come back, Mendenhall said there is no question that returning for his senior season is Unga’s first choice.

“Harvey’s first choice and what he is fighting diligently for and trying to express to the administration at BYU is that he wants to be back. This goes back to the decision he made to not declare for the [NFL] draft and to stay at BYU. He will be the first in his family to graduate and receive a college degree. He’s matured in so many areas in his time here at BYU, and he loves our program and he wants to be here in the most desperate way. So that is his hope. That is his intent, and that is what he would like to do. The process is still ongoing and I don’t have really a timeframe on when a decision will be reached and then how that will effect Harvey. If he is allowed to come back for the fall, obviously that would be something that we would love to have. If he is not allowed to come back for the fall, then he has a couple of options. Obviously finishing his schooling possibly elsewhere, with transferring credits back [is an option], because he is only three classes short of his graduation. Possibly entering the NFL supplemental draft [is an option]. So there are a lot of decisions and a lot of things for Harvey and his future that are my first concern.”

Unga’s voluntary withdrawal was seen by many as a move to avoid punishment from the school’s honor code office, and take his chances with his own LDS Church bishop and BYU’s administration. Mendenhall was asked if that voluntary move, and the “remorse” it showed, will help Unga in the long run.

“I think it was just taking acccountability for his actions,” Mendenhall said. “Harvey knows and embraces the standards here, and wants the standards here, and is in full support of the things the university asks. Quite frankly, it comes down to just choosing and acting really kind of boldly and bluntly, [saying], ‘You know what, I think this is the best thing to do. And I think it was a sign, or a token, that would make the administration know that I am going to act before I am asked to act in this particular case.’"

Addressing the running back situation, Mendenhall said if Unga cannot return, it will definitely change the makeup of that position, and the team.

“When it comes down to our football team, any time you lose the school’s leading rusher, and someone who has been in our system and been part of so many wins, that is going to be difficult for us [to replace], nor can we replace that spot in one year,” he said. “We have some younger players that we liked a lot in the spring, with Josh Quezada being one of them. We also liked J.J. DiLuigi and Bryan Kariya, how they performed in the spring, and I think we have depth and I think we have capable players -- very similar players that we beat Oklahoma with this past year. But when you lose Harvey, that changes your football team. And so, again, we are kind of holding on and waiting as well, and then starting to project and prepare in a lot of different ways in case he is with us or not with us.”

[hawkwing]

Looks as if the Honor Code was actually a (spiritual) life saving device for Harvey in this case. We'll never know for certain, but it sounds like he is using it as an anchor to get his life situated and on the best possible path. I hope that is true, and I hope he can work out whatever it is he needs to to return.

[Lawboy]

Without knowing exactly what happened, will be curious to see what happens here. My guess is that if Harvey sits out 1 semester (spring/summer combo) and can come back, he will play this Fall. But if the HC determines 2 semesters, that means Fall is in the mix, and if that happens, Harvey will be gone. It really is all up to the Admin at this point to determine what discipline Harvey faces. I hope BYU is able to work with him to get him back in school, then back on the field.

[AmmonCougar1]

I, for one, will welcome him back with open arms! But truthfully, I hope the Bishop and HC dude don't do him any favors. I hope they handle it the same with other students so no precedent appears to be set.

Go Cougs!!!
J. Child
Ammon, ID

[Lawboy]

Interesting how some people on this board assumed that because Harvey withdrew from school, they thought it was because he didn't want to face the HC consequences. And now Bronco says it was a proactive move to show he was serious about what happened and how he respected the HC. Always best to give the benefit of the doubt, especially without all the facts.

[Italics]

So much for "Unga made the decision to leave on this own."
Seals the deal - it was a preemptive move before he got booted. (Sorry, I just had to throw in my "hate to say I told you so" line.)

Regardless.... SWEET!
Here's to hoping this is all possible. I won't get TOO excited for this until I see him suited up before the Washington game.

[Italics]

If he didn't love BYU or want to be here and live the Honor Code he had every opportunity to leave the last couple of years.

Exactly. This kid didn't want to flip off the team to enter the supplemental NFL draft. Obviously his withdrawal was a reluctant one. Hope we see him again in September. Why keep a repentant kid out when you can take him back?

[Schmoe]

If he didn't love BYU or want to be here and live the Honor Code he had every opportunity to leave the last couple of years.

Exactly. This kid didn't want to flip off the team to enter the supplemental NFL draft. Obviously his withdrawal was a reluctant one. Hope we see him again in September. Why keep a repentant kid out when you can take him back?

Would he have been as motivated to admit his transgressions and to take proactive steps towards repentance if the HC wasn't in place? I honestly don't think so. We've seen a lot of LDS kids fall by the wayside in bad college environments (ones that lack an HC) because they slowly slide down the slippery slope. Harvey's actions actually weaken your argument significantly.