Oh Rise and Shout!!

Today is the football game of the season for BYU. They are playing Oklahoma University in Dallas in the Cowboys' new stadium. When kickoff starts, we will have many of Brad's family over at our house to enjoy the game. Hopefully the outcome will be a good one, I think BYU has a pretty strong team this year. But let me take this time to talk about another team.

This photo was taken in 1896. It is of Brigham Young University's (then known as Brigham Young Academy) first football team. They played University of Utah and won. The man on the last row third from the left is Arnold Daniel Miller, Brad's great grandpa. How cool is that? He left for a mission the following year. While he was on his mission, his mission president told him he needed to go home to get married and then resume his mission. A.D. returned to Utah and married his sweetheart Effie. Things worked differently back then.
Bert Miller is the first on the left in the middle row.

While he was home, he went to a BYA football game where they were playing the U. His younger brother, Bert, was on the team. During the game, things got a little heated between the players and a brawl began. Being the good big brother he was, he joined in the brawl. So here was this young missionary who took a break from his mission to get married brawling at a football game. Things worked really differently back then!

A.D. later moved back to Idaho where he ran a bank. At one point, his partner left town with most of the money in the bank and disappeared. Instead of just leaving the poor people who had their money taken to their own devices, he took out a second mortgage on his home and property and paid everyone back. It took him almost the rest of his life to pay off the mortgage. I am proud that my family comes from such a great heritage.

So you see, the love that the Millers have for BYU goes deep. Go mighty Cougars!!