LaVell’s pregame tradition lives on with Kalani

Just before BYU takes the field Saturday night to the fight song, fireworks and frenzied fans, the Cougars will take a knee inside the locker room, where head coach Kalani Sitake will continue a tradition he was taught by his head coach, the legendary LaVell Edwards .

Sitake leads the team prayer and as he does, he ponders the content for his ensuing pep talk.

“I’m thinking prayerfully and trying to find a way to get the most out of them,” Sitake told “BYU SportsNation Game Day.” “I think sometimes it’s not always up to me. I think my talk comes out through the prayer — my expectations, my desires but also the gratitude that we get to play this game and to represent this university and represent the church.”

Sitake will address a team picked by many to win fewer games than it did last year (5-7) and one that is picked to finish near the bottom of the 16-team Big 12. He doesn’t buy the low expectations. Instead, he sells the opposite.

“I always remind the players they are there to represent their families. Win or lose, their families are going to see how they play,” Sitake said. “It is important to try and get the victory, but it’s more important to represent well.”

“It gives them a sense of calm when guys know they are there for a reason. It’s divine design,” he said. “It’s not something that’s just coincidence, but they are there for a reason and the main reason is to represent God and their family and (Saturday) is going to be an opportunity for us to do it on the field.”

That approach struck a chord with Sitake when he played fullback for Edwards more than two decades ago. As he enters his ninth season as BYU’s head coach on Saturday night against Southern Illinois (6 p.m., ESPN+), Sitake won’t miss the chance to continue the tradition.

“There is nothing wrong with doing it exactly how Lavell did it,” Sitake said.

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com .