Kalani Sitake Is for ‘Real,’ Cougar Players Say After His BYU Devotional: ‘He Walks the Talk’ Kalani Sitake shared two moments Tuesday during his BYU devotional about times in his life when he felt broken. Needless to say, that seemed like an rare thing to say for a top-25 college football coach. But it’s not unusual for Sitake at all, two players said right after he became just the second BYU football coach to give a campus devotional in the school’s 150-year history. “We just love knowing that our coach isn’t trying to act too cool or too tough,” said BYU co-captain and safety Tanner Wall, who is a graduate student working toward an MBA. “He’s very willing to be vulnerable and share real, human emotions with us, and we’re able to do that with him as well know that he’s not going to judge us for that, but we’ll just feel loved and appreciated,” added Wall, who said the opening prayer at the devotional. The player said those messages work. “It’s meaningful for us to hear that from him, being someone who we respect and revere so highly,” Wall said. “We have teammates who are probably feeling similar to that, so it’s meaningful for them to hear that and draw a lot of strength and hope from him sharing those stories with us.” Senior wide receiver Chase Roberts, who said the closing prayer, echoed BYU President Shane Reese, who introduced Sitake as “a true disciple of our Savior, Jesus Christ” who “walks the talk.” “Kalani is the greatest example of just being Christ-like, just caring for people and loving people. He is who he is and is not ashamed of it,” Roberts said. “He’s going be who he wants to be, and that’s Christ-like.” Perhaps the sweetest part of the devotional came after Sitake said when he was a fourth-grader broken-hearted by his parents’ divorce and a move from Hawaii to Utah, his BYU football hero, Vai Sikahema, consoled him and hugged him when the team visited Sitake’s elementary school. The moment healed him. “Can you imagine how I feel now as I watch our players interact and connect with young people? It has to be more than just football, especially here,” Sitake said with evident emotion, as the video board behind him shared images of his football players hugging, talking to and laughing with children at practices and on school visits. “That’s the main focus of why we play football at BYU,” Roberts said. “Of course we want to win games, but it’s really to win games so that we can have more of an impact on these kids, this younger generation, to be the light in their lives. That comes straight from Kalani and the messages that he shares in meetings, at games, practices — that’s his main focus. “I think it comes a lot from that experience with Vai Sikahema and how it changed his life.” For highlights from the devotional, which eventually will be available on BYUtv.org and at speeches.byu.org, watch this. BYU also posted a fun video of a young staff member interviewing Sitake as they rode on a golf cart around campus. | 