What BYU safety Tanner Wall thought of the Sitake devotional experience

BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake was the headliner at Tuesday’s devotional at the Marriott Center in Provo, but he wasn’t the only member of the Cougar squad who participated.

BYU senior safety Tanner Wall and senior wide receiver Chase Roberts also got involved as they accepted invitations to pray at the opening and closing of the devotional.

“They asked me and those were the two guys who came to mind,” Sitake said after practice on Tuesday afternoon. “I thought they would do a good job.”

Roberts kind of got the short end of things since when he stood up to give the benediction, there were technical difficulties with the microphone.

“The mic went out on Chase and he looked over,” Sitake said. “I told him, ‘It’s adversity. You’ll figure it out.’ I was ready for him to belt out the prayer (without the mic).”

In all seriousness, though, Sitake said having Roberts and Wall there as part of his chance to talk to the students was “really cool.”

“I’m so thankful that I get to coach these guys and I get to be there with them, that I get to work alongside all of them,” Sitake said.

Wall, for his part, said he saw the devotional as a unique opportunity.

“Chase and I were super grateful to be part of that experience with Kalani being the devotional speaker,” Wall said. “It was packed. Vice President Keith Vorkink was telling us it was probably the biggest crowd they’ve had for a devotional this year. I’m glad that all Cougar nation showed up to listen to Coach Kalani today and hear his message and his stories and what he had to say. I loved all the things that he shared.”

Wall said that there were stories Sitake shared that he was familiar with while there were others he didn’t know about.

“The NFL story (about Sitake having to trust that his Heavenly Father had a plan for him when injury prevented him from playing pro football), that was one I hadn’t heard before,” Wall said. “He hadn’t shared that with me or in a team setting where I’d been present before. It was interesting to see that journey of prayer where he was saying that he just wanted God to do what’s best for him, then having that happen and being a little bit confused. But he worked through that.”

Wall said that he had heard about Sitake meeting the with 1984 Cougar football team when he was a young boy, but didn’t know that it was BYU legend Vai Sikahema who had reached out to Sitake.

“That was really cool to kind of see how those dots connect in that way,” Wall said. “I thought that was awesome.”

While Sitake is a coach who pushes his athletes to be their best, he also genuinely wants what is best for them and has always focused on helping the players be ready for life as well as football.

He said that getting to see individuals like Wall grow during their time as part of the BYU program is something he treasures.

“I just saw there was something special in that kid (Wall) from very beginning,” Sitake said. “You can just see it in some of these guys that they just have no quit. They don’t know any other way than to work hard. Those guys usually do really well and I like being surrounded by them because they make me work too.

“Just having having him around has been special but I’ve also seen him progress and grow throughout the years in so many different ways. Seeing him get older and go through that transition of becoming an adult and being a team leader and a captain, it’s been amazing for me to coach him.”

Wall took a moment on Tuesday to think about his own personal journey and all the things that have come together to get to this point as he prepares for his senior season.

“I have a lot of gratitude,” Wall said. “I’m super grateful. Connecting to what Coach Kalani shared and just looking back, the dots always connect, right? God always has a has a perfect plan for what he’s doing, and he’s never going to allow you to go through something that doesn’t help to grow and develop into what he needs you to become. When I look back, I’m very grateful for every step in this journey. I’m just super grateful for all the people who have helped me get to this place and for God really directing me on a perfect course to this moment.”