Modern Heroes #2: Tanner Mangum

Tanner Mangum will be a senior in his high school in Idaho this coming school year.  This summer he was chosen to attend the "elite 11" quarterback camp.  24 quarterbacks are chosen from around the country who have shown themselves to have some great potential in that position.  The Elite 11 camp has a lot of respect due to the fact that about two thirds of starting NFL quarterbacks have attended their camp in the past.  The quarterbacks chosen for their camp are hounded by the best football schools in the country in hopes that they will come to their school.  Tanner is already committed to BYU.  BYU has not had a lot of quarterbacks attend this camp in the past so this is a big deal for BYU as well.

Not only has Tanner been chosen to attend the Elite 11 camp but was chosen from the 24 quarterbacks as one of the elite 11.  But more than that he was chosen as one of the co-MVPs of the camp.  That is quite a distinction!  Through it all Tanner said that he has recognized that he not only represents himself but also BYU.  I suspect that as a representative of BYU now that in some ways he recognizes that he represents the church which owns BYU.

However that is only a part of what makes Tanner Mangum my choice for a modern day hero.  Without the other part he wouldn't make the cut. 

What tips him over the scale as just a great sports guy football player is that when asked specifically what his intentions were now that he had done so well at the Elite 11 camp he said that his plans haven't changed but he intends to go on a mission right out of high school and following that to play football at BYU.  This is another example of a young man who has his sights squarely on what is most important at this time in his life. Even though he has great ability in football, he sees that at this time in his life, that the mission is more important.  Good for Tanner!