For some, it only felt like the world stopped in 2020.
For BYU defensive lineman Atunaisa Mahe, it almost did.
The West Jordan native was running, preparing for the Cougars’ football season when he felt his arm go numb. A dayslong headache followed. Then the entire left side of his body shut down.
“The only word I could say was ‘help,’” Mahe has said.
By now most BYU Cougar fans know that Mahe was diagnosed with a venous thrombosis – a blood clot in his brain. Luckily for Mahe, the blood clot wasn’t in an artery, which would have resulted in a stroke, but instead in a vein. There was a time Mahe thought he would never play football again.
The feeling will be special for every player who steps on to the field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where more than 57,000 fans will be watching BYU taken on Arizona on Saturday night. After a year in the COVID-19 pandemic, a year of uncertainty and loss, the start of this new football season feels special for all.
It especially does for Mahe.
“It means a lot to me,” he said. “I’m just grateful the coaches were able to give me this opportunity. I’ve been putting in a lot of time and effort, and getting back into shape and getting the plays down. So, it’s a long time coming, but I’m just grateful that I have this opportunity.”
That difference in the location of the clot ultimately allowed Mahe to get back to football — and now all eyes will be on him as he takes over the nose tackle position, left open by the departure of Khyiris Tonga to the NFL.
“He’s definitely left big shoes to fill — he’s done a really great job,” Mahe said. “And he was a very good mentor, which is part of the reason why I feel confident going into the season.”
Mahe understands the new role is a big responsibility but thinks, as a whole, the defensive line is ready to deliver.
Filling Tonga’s shoes will require more than just size.
“I learned a lot about hard work and sacrifice [from Tonga],” Mahe said. “He was always doing extra work. He was always there every step of the way, showing me how to use technique, footwork, handwork. So, it’s really good that he was around — that I was able to be around him.”
Tonga, now a rookie with the Chicago Bears, wasn’t the only big name to depart the Cougars. Saturday will serve as BYU’s first test to see how the team replaced the talent of Zach Wilson, Brady Christensen, Dax Milne, Isaiah Kaufusi and more.
One game may not be enough to really gauge if, or how much, production could drop off from last season, but BYU wants the chance to measure itself. It will also be yet another opportunity to showcase its team and fanbase, as interest from the Big 12 Conference reportedly heating up. On Friday, ESPN reported that BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida were all expected to submit formal applications to join the conference next week — with the potential for admission as early as Sept. 10.
They are also just excited to get back to a semblance of normalcy — and what is expected to be a rambunctious crowd in one of the newest NFL stadiums.
“I’m excited about the game, get the fans there,” coach Kalani Sitake said. “We just really missed that last year. So, having the band be there at the games and having the fans and having the opponents have their fans, it’s going to be a lot of fun just to have that feeling of the game.”
And Sitake expects to see more BYU fans than Arizona fans when he looks around the stadium.
“We got to do our part to get that place rocking,” Sitake said. “We have to make plays and do what we can to entertain our fans. But I think you approach the game with a huge sense of appreciation and we get to play and represent. … I’m just looking forward to the overall game, and I’m just really appreciative that we have this opportunity.”
Mahe knows he’ll have a special cheering section, too.
“Man, my mom’s going to be there,” he said. “I’m just really happy that my family’s going to be there. It’s just an amazing feeling to feel that I’ll be able to play in front of them again, especially since I didn’t think I was going to be playing football at all anymore. So, extremely grateful, extremely blessed and I’m just so excited.”
