Beyond the Game Podcast

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Lucky Finau, BYU running back whose journey exemplifies resilience and faith. When a mass tumor on his heart nearly ended his football dreams before they began, Lucky faced emergency surgery that broke his sternum and ribs just weeks before fall camp, forcing him to redshirt his first year at BYU. For months du...

Get ready for a compelling episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Chris Burgess, BYU's assistant coach and former McDonald's All-American who chose between Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA before his basketball journey took him around the world. From being recruited by legendary coaches like Coach K, Rick Pitino, and Roy Williams to playing professionally in 11 countries acro...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Lily Owens, BYU softball standout who transferred from Lehigh University to make her mark in the Big 12. With a .361 batting average and infectious personality both on and off the field, Lily brings a unique combination of trash-talking competitiveness and deep compassion rooted in her mother's teachings about l...

Get ready for a compelling episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Carson Lundell, former BYU golf standout who came within inches of qualifying for the US Open. From hitting birdies in torrential downpours at Alpine Country Club to walking eight miles in Ohio just to watch Tony Finau play before his own 36-hole qualifier, Carson's journey exemplifies resilience under pressure...

Get ready for a compelling episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Terrance Motley, BYU's Director of Football Rehabilitation who coordinates post-operative, return-to-sport, and maintenance-based physical therapy interventions for the entire football program. From walking on as an offensive guard under coach Mendenhall to winning back-to-back national rugby championships in 2...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Danny Holmoe, son of former BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe and founder of Rec League. From growing up in the rarified air of college and professional football - running onto Cal's Memorial Stadium field with the team and sitting in locker rooms with NFL legends like Deion Sanders - Danny chose the entrepreneu...

To conclude season 6, get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with former BYU wide receiver Kody Epps. From playing alongside future NFL stars like Bryce Young and Amon-Ra St. Brown at powerhouse Mater Dei High School to becoming the first freshman at BYU to record consecutive 100-yard receiving games, Kody's journey exemplifies resilience and purposeful...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Kelly Popinga, BYU Football's Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Ends Coach. From earning the nickname "K-Pop" from a teammate's daily dose joke to becoming "Coach Pop" at Virginia and beyond, Kelly's journey exemplifies loyalty, growth, and the power of relationships in college football. After transferrin...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with BYU football standouts Lamason Waller and Tre Alexander. Fresh faces to the program, these talented young athletes share their journey from their hometowns to BYU's football program. Waller, a highly-rated wide receiver from Hesperia, California who graduated high school early to join BYU, and Alexander, a corne...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with former BYU linebacker Max Tooley. When he wrote down his goal of earning a sports scholarship to BYU in third grade, it set in motion a journey that would see him break records as BYU's all-time leader in games played (60). Known for his aggressive play style and occasional trash-talking, Max finished 14th all-t...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Josh Singh, former BYU defensive tackle who recently transferred to Vanderbilt to continue his football journey. Affectionately known as "Bear" since childhood - a nickname that's sparked the viral "#bearsighting" phenomenon among teammates - Josh shares how his path from Laie, Hawaii to Orem, Utah changed the...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacy sits down with BYU soccer standout Ellie Walbruch! Ellie shares her remarkable journey from national champion at UCLA to becoming a beacon of BYU soccer's special "light." Raised in a family where soccer wasn't just a game but a way of life, Ellie's unconventional path saw her training with boys' teams throughout high school—a...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with BYU's Australian punter Sam Vander Haar. When backpacking through America in 2019, Sam met his future wife Hallie in San Diego, setting him on an unexpected path that would lead from swimming pool sales in Melbourne to becoming one of college football's most dynamic special teams weapons. Known for his unorthod...

In this exciting episode of Beyond the Game, we sit down with Faletau Satuala, BYU's promising young safety who made an immediate impact as a true freshman. Standing at 6'4", this Bountiful High School standout brings impressive size, athleticism, and ball-hawking skills to the Cougars' defense. Despite being recruited by powerhouse programs like USC, UCLA, and Tennessee, Faletau's journey to BYU...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with BYU football standout Tanner Wall. Growing up in Arlington, Virginia as a lifelong BYU fan with deep family connections to the Church, Tanner's journey to Provo wasn't straightforward. Starting as an undersized walk-on wide receiver who weighed just 99 pounds as a high school freshman, he transformed himself int...

Get ready for one of our most unique episodes yet of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey kicks off Season 6 with Jeff Strong, former BYU baseball pitcher turned track coach and hurdles competitor. After playing for the Mighty Red Devils at Springville High School and pitching for BYU in the 1980s, Jeff's career took him through Procter & Gamble and around the world before becoming a mission pre...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with former BYU quarterback Charlie Peterson. After serving a mission in Fiji and returning to compete for the starting quarterback position under coaches Norm Chow and LaVell Edwards, Charlie navigated the challenges of quarterback controversies while developing the "saltiness" needed to succeed. His football journe...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with BYU football legend Jim McMahon. When his dad put the brakes on his dreams to play baseball at UNLV, it sent him on an unexpected path that changed everything. Behind those famous sunglasses was a football genius with a photographic memory who thrived in BYU's high-flying offense - which Jim still calls "the be...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Andrew Gentry, the 6'8" offensive lineman who recently transferred from Michigan to BYU. After committing to Virginia out of high school, Gentry's path took an unexpected turn when Bronco Mendenhall stepped down during his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Orem, Utah. While serving f...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with former BYU tight end Byron Rex. From his Hawaiian roots to his memorable playing days at BYU, Byron shares how football became a vehicle for teaching eternal principles to his family, including his sons Isaac and Preston who followed in his footsteps at BYU. Through honest stories about his highs and lows—includ...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with BYU quarterback legend Gary Sheide. When LaVell Edwards recruited him from Antioch, California in the early 1970s, Gary had never heard of BYU or the LDS Church. His journey from a talented multi-sport athlete to becoming one of BYU's pioneering quarterbacks changed not just his football career but his entire l...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with BYU safety Raider Damuni. After major back surgery that nearly ended his football career just months before the 2023 season, Damuni returned to become a key playmaker in BYU's inaugural Big 12 campaign. Through stories ranging from his father's influence as a former BYU player to his transformative mission in O...

Get ready for an inspiring episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with legendary NCAA basketball coach James Harrick. From his early days learning from John Wooden to leading UCLA to the 1995 National Championship, Coach Harrick shares how divine guidance shaped his remarkable coaching journey. Starting as a high school English teacher who studied Wooden's every move, Harrick deve...

Get ready for an exciting episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with BYU's newest defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa. After three successful seasons at Utah, his surprising transfer to BYU was guided by more than just football - it was about finding the right environment for his future growth both on and off the field. Known for his infectious smile off the field and tenacious play...

Get ready for an engaging episode of Beyond the Game as host Mike Lacey sits down with Marc Lyons, whose journey from BYU quarterback to beloved broadcaster spans over four decades of Cougar football history. From running the belly series offense in the late 1960s to becoming the trusted voice alongside Paul James in the broadcast booth, Marc's story weaves together the evolution of BYU football w...