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Virgil Carter was the first true BYU quarterback and led the nation as a senior in 1966 in total offense and touchdown passes. However, the Blue Darter (perhaps not the most flattering nickname) was recruited by LaVell Edwards as a tailback. LaVell was a shrewd recruiter and made certain that Carter got an academic scholarship to save the football program some money.
One day Carter got fed up with the tailback stuff and told LaVell, "By the way, remember I'm on an academic scholarship, so instead of going to the football field and getting the crap kicked out of me, I think I'll just go to the library and maintain my scholarship for academics, and you guys can have a nice day." LaVell, the ever patient and reassuring coach replied, "You know what, I can't tell you what's coming, Virg, but just bite your lip, be patient, hang in there a couple of more weeks, and I think you'll be happy you did."
Well the Blue Darter stayed and ended up quite pleased with his decision. In 1965, Carter led the Cougars to winning the first conference title in school history. During his career as a Cougar he set 6 NCAA records, 19 WAC records, and 24 BYU records.