Coming off a season that saw three former BYU Cougars win the Super Bowl (only two other college football programs had three former players on the Super Bowl champion Steelers), two former Cougars coach in the Super Bowl, and one former Cougar lead the NFL in punt return average, BYU once again plans on making a splash in the 2006 NFL season. This season, fifteen former Cougars are on NFL active rosters and four former Cougars are on their teams' respective practice squads. In addition, three former Cougars are NFL head coaches and two former Cougars are assistant coaches.
The defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers began their defense of the crown with a 28-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in week one. Brett Keisel, coming off a stellar performance in the Super Bowl, started for the Steelers and had three tackles, including one solo, on the day. Keisel's teammate Chris Hoke also saw action on the defensive line in the Steelers' victory. A third Pittsburgh defensive lineman with BYU ties, Shaun Nua, is on the Steelers' practice squad. Former Cougar John Denney, in his second season, saw action as the Dolphins' long snapper on special teams.
The NFC champion Seattle Seahawks began their quest to get back to the Super Bowl with a hard-fought 9-6 victory over the Detroit Lions. Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren guided the Seahawks to their first ever Super Bowl last season in what was his third Super Bowl appearance as a head coach. Holmgren, who took Green Bay to two Super Bowls in the late nineties, became only the fifth head coach to guide two franchises to the Super Bowl. Another former Cougar, Itula Mili, saw action at tight end in Seattle's victory. Mili led all tight ends in the game with four receptions for twenty-four yards. Mili's position coach on the Seahawks, Jim Lind, coached at BYU with Holmgren. Lind is in his sixth season as the Seahawks' tight ends coach.
In a battle of AFC East foes, New England edged Buffalo 19-17 on a fourth-quarter safety. Buffalo defensive end Ryan Denney, the older brother of Miami defensive end John, led all defensive linemen in the contest with eight total and five solo tackles. Denney's five solo tackles tied him for third most on the Bills' defensive unit.
In a NFC North battle that was not as close, Chicago blanked Green Bay 26-0. Former Cougar offensive lineman John Tait, in his eighth NFL season, started at tackle for Chicago and helped limit the Packers' defense to one sack in the Bears' victory. Tait started all fifteen games in which he played last season and has started the last ninety-two games in which he has played. Chicago tight end Gabe Reid was not active for week one. On the other side of the ball, second-year pro Brady Poppinga started at linebacker and led the Packers with seven solo tackles. His eight total tackles ranked him second on the team. Poppinga ranked second among both teams in solo tackles and third among both teams in total tackles on the day.
In the much-anticipated "Manning Bowl," linebacker and special teams standout Rob Morris registered five solo tackles for the Indianapolis Colts in their 26-21 victory over the New York Giants. Morris' five solo tackles ranked him fourth on the Colts. In a less-anticipated week one game, Arizona held off San Francisco 34-27. Former Cougar Aaron Francisco had three solo tackles and one pass deflection for the Cardinals in their victory. Fellow former Cougar Todd Watkins is on the Cardinals' practice squad, where Francisco began his NFL career. Watkins, a wide receiver, was drafted by Arizona in the seventh round of last year's NFL draft. Watkins' teammate on last year's BYU team, full back Fahu Tahi, is on the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad. The Bengals beat the Kansas City Chiefs 23-10 in week one. Former BYU offensive lineman Ben Archibald is on the New Orleans Saints' practice squad, after seeing action for the Saints in five games last season. New Orleans defeated Cleveland 19-14 in week one.
The New York Jets defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in week one. Tennessee's offense, led by offensive coordinator Norm Chow, amassed over three-hundred total yards in the loss. Titans linebacker Colby Bockwoldt, who led the Saints in tackles last season, registered two tackles, including one solo, for his new team.
Bockwoldt was not the only former Cougar to change teams this offseason. Former Cougar tight end Doug Jolley was traded from the New York Jets to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jolley saw action in the Bucs' week one 27-0 loss to Baltimore. Tampa Bay offensive lineman Scott Jackson did not see action in week one. Baltimore head coach Brian Billick, one of only eight current NFL head coaches who have guided teams to Super Bowl championships, is beginning his eighth season as the Ravens' head coach. Billick played and later coached at BYU.
In another inter-conference battle, head coach Andy Reid's Philadelphia Eagles beat the Houston Texans 24-10. Reid guided Philadelphia to the Super Bowl during the 2004 season. Philadelphia all purpose back Reno Mahe, who led the NFL in punt return average a year ago, did not play in the Eagles' victory due to injury. Fellow former Cougar and second year offensive lineman Scott Young also did not see action in week one.
Longtime NFL veterans and former BYU standouts Ty Detmer, Larry Moore, Travis Hall, and Chad Lewis have retired from the NFL.