Show Will BYU Lose J f Ben Olson J 1 J y J 1 Eric Larson Sports Editor Sports Commentary The year is 2001 B BYU YU has just signed Ben Olson the number one high school recruit in the country BYU fans who had been grieving the losses of quarterback Brandon Doman and running back Luke Staley to the NFL believe that Olson could be bethe bethe bethe the player to lead them back to their glory days of the and Expectations are high BYU is coming off a 12 2 season and now Olson the most touted high school quarterback in the country is coming to run Crowton's powered high-powered offense which led the nation in 2001 That's when things started to unravel for both Olson and BYU Playing behind Brett Elliott and Matt Berry Olson never got on the field during his freshman season Despite Elliott and Berrys Berry's erratic play crowton elected electea to 10 red rea shirt Olson who had decided to serve an mission This gave him four seasons to play after he returned One of the reasons Olson chose B BYU YU was so could play immediately Domans Doman's move to the NFL had left the starting starting starting start start- ing quarterback position open Even if he lost the starting job Olson believed that he would be the primary backup After Elliot was named the starter and Berry the back up reports surfaced that Olson wasn't pleased He had come cometo to BYU to gain experience not sit on the bench for the entire season His frustration came to a peak during a game against rival arch-rival Utah Allegedly Crowton had told Olson he would get to play F 1 TM x I Ic C c 0 U Li Gi A 1 R S against the Utes But Olson didn't play and BYU lost to Utah 6 6 3 That was his last experience with BYU football before leaving on his church mission While Olson was serving his mission BYU struggled and Crow Crowton ton came under fire Many people including some players questioned Crowton's ability to lead Crow Crowton ton has been criticized repeatedly for indecisiveness Since Olson was away for more than 18 months rules allow other colleges to recruit him Given his experiences at BYU and with Crowton it is no wonder that he questions whether another school might be better for him Olson is not as eager to commit to BYU as ashe ashe ashe he was the first time around Since coming home he has been exploring his options frustrating BYU fans which are now desperate for some good news Last Saturday Olson spent the afternoon on the sidelines during the game between UCLA and Washington two teams that are believed to be beon beon beon on his list of potential schools Other schools rumored to be beon beon beon on that list are BYU and Oregon Many BYU fans are angry that a player who has already signed a letter of intent is free freeto to go to another school Even if rules allow it BYU fans wonder how Olson could justify leaving a school to o which he has already commit commit- committed committed ted and attended This issue has sparked some heated debates One wonders what BYU would do if the shoe was on the other foot rules allow a school to cut a player who isn't playing well or pull his scholarship and give it to a better player that comes along If Olson wasn't able to play when he came home or if BYU had a full hand of dynamite dynamite dynamite dyna dyna- mite quarterbacks would they still give Olson his four year scholarship The answer is probably no Its It's difficult to find fault with someone who reevaluates reevaluates reevaluates ates the choice he made as an 18 year old Given BYUs BYU's current current current cur cur- rent struggles and Olsons Olson's experience as a cougar it is unreasonable to hold him to his original commitment BYU has had only two losing losing losing los los- ing seasons in the past twenty years The first was Olsons Olson's shirt red-shirt season and the second second second sec sec- ond was last year Many people people people peo peo- question if Crowton willbe will willbe willbe be back next season Since Olson originally committed to BYU th the m. m has has' changed Wh What t BYU fans are asking from Ben Olson is a lotof lot of loyalty and not much intel intel- |