Tom Holmoe just stated that Jim McMahan was the most important person behind Lavell Edwards in BYU history.
Let the discussion begin…where would you put McMahon on a list that includes Steve Young, Ty Detmer, Robby Bosco, Hill and others.
JM
TD
SY
RB
MW
GN
VC
MH
SS
TH
My top 10-see if you can figure them out🤔
Purely from a FB angle I think Tom was correct. Steve Young is right behind Jimmy MAC!
Taysom is a great athlete but not even on my top 50 players for BYU over the last 40 years.
I see your point but would say that players bring status to BYU long after they play here as Kyle Van Noy, Ziggy and Hill are doing today.
Not a single Running back like Unga or Luke Staley? or other player such a Jason Buck?
I will go:
Jimmy Mack
Ty Detmer
Steve Young
Max Hall just because he defined Utah so well
Tysom Hill- still writing his legacy, no one comes back from his injuries
Kyle Morrell- Saved our undefeated season with a miracle QB sack at HU
Todd Christensen- He was one of a kind, unapologetic.
Jamall Williams- Epitomizes toughness with a smile after Honor Code perdition. It was him or Kyle Van Noy and that SDSU performance.
I was just doing qbs- throw in Luke Staley if you are doing rbs or anyone else-lots of great running backs and middle linebackers
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I agree regarding McMahon. He did put BYU football on the map. Yes, there were many others who contributed to the greatness of BYU football, but he really did a lot for the program. Don’t forget that he wasn’t even a member of the church.
I still get perturbed by the focus that so many church people put on the word of wisdom issues with drinking as such a big deal. Way too many are quick to judge and condemn someone who had a few beers (No, I have never had one) when there are so many other transgressions that only our Heavenly Father knows about or others that are much worse and yet go unnoticed and unpunished.
I loved watching McMahon play football, loved it.
I have to disagree, Jimmy Mac gave us great moments that we all remember.
But Jim was part of a long list of QB’s that made BYU a QB factory.
Gifford Nielson and Marc Wilson were both drafted in the NFL before Mac.
Jim was just the flamboyant one that made publicity.
I think in the course of judging greatness, most people remember individual experience more than a long term body of work. Detmer immediately comes to mind. A great body of work. Mac will always be remembered for the SMU game-probably one of the most replayed clips in sports history that is continuing to be replayed to this very day. In some respects this makes him the most influential quarterback in BYU history , and his on-the-field charisma didn’t hurt either
In other words… “He put BYU football on the map” !
Make sure you know what you are disagreeing with before you do it. 
No, I really believe that Gifford Nielson put us on the map, followed by Marc Wilson…
But then, I guess it depends on what you consider putting us on the map means. Because BYU was know for producing NFL type QB’s before Jimmy Mac
fish,
“Why does BYU glorify Jim McMahon so much?”
My respect for Holmoe grows each season.
At first, I did not like Holmoe.
At first, I blamed Holmoe for getting Gary Crowton fired.
At first I thought Crowton got fired, (in addition to a few of Crowton’s players, at night, in their home, being involved in a sex scandal), the fact that Crowton took his players to Cal when Holme was head coach for those Cal Bears, and our Cougars destroyed the Bears, almost as bad as we destroyed the UCLA Bruins the last time UCLA came to Provo.
Holmoe got fired at the end of that season as head coach at Cal
Holmo was instantly made AD at BYU.
During the Notre game in Provo, when we, BYU, came out victorious, Holmoe announced to the 65,000 in attendance that Crowton was to be fired at the end of the season.
Since those dark days when Crowton had to constantly defend himself for the actions of a few of his players, and not having the energy, the time, or perhaps the proud drive, that was taken away from him, which all led to a couple bad seasons. (No wonder why).
Holmoe has proven me wrong over and over again with his good decisions, his sense of fair play, and for taking our team in the right direction. If he remembers any of my past protestings, I hope that he finds it in his heart to forgive me, as I now see how wrong I was, and I ask for his forgiveness.
Holmoe is truly a good man with nothing but good intentions, and he would never do that which I had in the past expected him of doing, in regards to Gary Crowton.
I appreciate very much, Holmo’s defense of Jim Mac Mann. I too
appreciate what Jim did for BYU. All that Jim did was not good at first glance, but lessons were learned from those things that we considered to be bad that Jim also brought to BYU. (I like Jim).
I remember at Press conferences on National TV after a game
victory. He would show up with a can a beer in one hand, a lit cigar on the other hand, and the network would have to bleep out a word from each of his sentences.
Jim gave us the MIracle Bowl, and much, much, much more.
Jim was one of the few pride and joys of our football history.
Lavell Edwards, our hall of fame coach, taught us all the great lesson of tolerance and forgiveness and leaving the judging to God. Not all of us learned the lessons of Level; not all of us
realized that which he taught us was a lesson; but then again, not all of us are Hall of Fame Coaches. I loved Lavell Edwards.
I appreciate Holmoe for standing up for Jim. Holmoe never ceases to amaze me with his forthright goodness.
Do you know where Jim McMahon was when he was drafted by the Bears? Lavell Edwards home…
That was the kind of man Coach Edwards was…
When a school produces NFL Pro Bowl selections and Super Bowl Champions, it puts them on the map! When a school wins a national championship it puts them on the map! If Bosco’s injuries hadn’t prevented him from NFL experience I think he would have been a quality NFL QB. But Jimmy Mac and Steve Young were what put BYU football over the top. Some good players before them and some really good players after them … but those 2 guys reached the top and took BYU there also.
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I certainly agree on that point. I could and should put Steve Young ahead of Ty. He continues to bring BYU the notoriety that we need.
Interesting Drafts of our QB’s
Gifford Nielsen 3rd round , 17th pick
Marc Wilson - 1st round, 15th pick
Jim McMahon - 1st round, 5th pick
Steve Young - 1st round, 1 pick
Robbie Bosco - 3rd round , 17th pick
Ty Detmer - 9th round. 6th pick.
This is all according Wiki…
So who really put us on the map?
Norm Chow? 
No, I say LaVell Edwards
It all started Gifford Nielson but he only played for 5 years according to wiki. Marc Wilson, Jim McMahan and Steve Young played the longest along with their Super Bowl Championships.
All those guys including Ty Detmer put BYU on the map.
McMahon and Young