Did you know that Shawn Bradley is 7’6″? That Danny Ainge played Major League Baseball while a student at BYU and while being drafted into the NBA? That “ra ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra ra, Go Cougars!” was not originally part of the fight song?
I learned all of this and more on my second everyday BYU adventure to the Student Athlete Building (SAB). I’ve walked by this building hundreds of times over the last three years and have only made it into the Jamba Juice. Last Friday my roommate and I had lunch at Legend’s Grille and then explored the displays in the atrium of the SAB. If you haven’t been, you should go.
Legend’s Grille
Why have I never been here before? Great food and reasonably priced. I had the tasty pulled pork sandwich. The restaurant is decorated with BYU sports posters and photographs. While we ate we watched some March Madness on one of their big screens. My favorite decor is the logo timeline showing BYU logos for the last 100 years.
Student Athlete Building Atrium
You may have walked by the SAB at some point and seen the heroic Cougar statue or the many display cases, but until you’ve been inside to explore you have no idea what’s there. BYU has such a rich athletic heritage and it is displayed right there. There are team awards and trophies as well as individual awards like Ty Detmer’s Heisman Trophy. There are cases with historic items like the game ball from the first BYU vs. UofU rivalry football game. There are displays with interesting facts about the BYU athletic heritage like the tallest and shortest athlete or the biggest foot or hand or highest jumper. I enjoyed the Olympic cases and seeing how BYU students have represented their countries at the summer and winter games. For many though, the highlight may be the BYU Football team’s National Championship Trophy from 1984.
Since I was in the athletic mood and had never been in the Indoor Practice Facility, I popped in there for a second to see what it looked like. It is ginormous! The one question I have is why the maximum capacity for such a large building is only 300 people?
That was everyday BYU adventure number two. It involved having lunch at a great campus eatery and spending a little time perusing BYU’s athletic history and achievements. I wonder what I’ll do next. Maybe a visit to the Museum of Peoples and Cultures or lunch at the Pendulum Court. If you have suggestions let me know.
Now go, and have your own everyday adventure. Learn a little about something you walk by on almost a daily basis.
