BYU to Honor Young with Fireside Saturday
PROVO -- Before Steve Young heads to Canton, Ohio, to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, BYU will send him off with a fireside in his honor, Saturday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m. The event is free to the public, and no ticket is required.
"Steve Young is a great athlete and an incredible person," BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe said. "All of us who have been associated with him over the years are proud to see him receive professional football's highest honor. I hope Cougar fans will come out in record numbers Saturday to honor one of BYU's greatest players.
"Steve has been a winner at every stage of his career. Even at times when he wasn't the starting quarterback or playing for the best team, his character and hard work commanded the respect of teammates and opponents. I was a teammate of Steve's at BYU and the 49ers, and there is no one more deserving of this recognition."
The Cougar Club, the fund-raising arm of BYU Athletics, is sponsoring the event and was delighted when Young agreed to come to Provo to be honored by the community before the former Super Bowl MVP joins the NFL's most elite group.
"Steve Young is an incomparable example of all that a BYU athlete should be," Cougar Club Executive Director Mike Middleton said. "His abilities and character have brought honor and international attention to Brigham Young University and to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
The public is invited to the open house at BYU's new athletic facilities, which will begin at 4 p.m. Those attending will be able to tour the Student Athlete Building, Indoor Practice Facility and Legacy Hall, where Young's accomplishments as one of the NCAA's most prolific quarterbacks are on display along with those of many other BYU athletes.
At 7 p.m., the Cougar Club will host a fireside in Young's honor at the Smith Fieldhouse. Young, former Utah Jazz forward Thurl Bailey and Aleisha Cramer Rose, a four-year All-American soccer player at BYU, will share spiritual messages of inspiration, and pianist Jon Schmidt will perform.
Because of the unique nature of the fireside, BYU Broadcasting plans to tape the event. The production will later be shown locally and nationally on KBYU and BYU Television as part of the "Time of Teens" series.
"Steve has reached the highest pinnacles of his sport without ever compromising his principles or forgetting his roots," Middleton added. "The Cougar Club is delighted to have this opportunity to honor him prior to his Hall of Fame induction."
All events and activities are free to the public, and no ticket is required.
Young will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame August 7, 2005.