COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS - Former BYU and NFL great Reno Mahe is now a symbol of redemption. His No. 20 jersey was retired during the halftime ceremony of last week’s game between Brighton and Pleasant Grove.
As the former Gatorade Utah Player of the Year was about to be honored, Mahe said playing football in college and the pros was more like a vision than a goal.
“It was dream to play in the pros, I always felt like I was going to make it,” Mahe said. “I remember specifically, I was getting ready to go to Dixie and I told myself I’m going to go, I felt it.”
More than a decade later Mahe knows what drove him to succeed as a high school football player. “Be humble and hungry,” Mahe said. “Be coachable… but not only that, be hungry to play and get better. A lot of these kids feel like they have it already… and I promise at my age, I never felt like I had it. I still had to work.”
Mahe speaks from experience. As a senior at Brighton, he led the Bengals to 11-1 record and earned MVP honors in the region.
He was recruited by BYU and stared as freshman. Mahe gained nearly 500 yards and scored seven touchdowns in his first year as a Cougar.
But Mahe was suspended from the program for honor code violations and transferred to Dixie College. While playing at the junior college, Mahe led the nation in receiving.
Because of his perseverance, talent and family support, the Los Angeles native was able to return to BYU in 2001. In his second stint with the Cougars, Mahe led the Mountain West Conference in receiving with 91-receptions and nine touchdowns.
The undersized athlete, who played big, says having a strong support system was instrumental in his efforts to succeed, not just on the football field but in life. “It’s all about family,” Mahe said. “For me it’s always been about my family, I have a great family circle and I think it’s important.”
Against all odds, Mahe continued his football career in the NFL, where he played four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But for now and forever, Mahe will always be a Brighton Bengal.
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