Utah broad receiver Britain Covey (18) is congratulated after scoring in opposition to Ohio State within the 108th Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. Covey is hoping to take his sport to the subsequent stage as he awaits this weekend’s NFL draft in Las Vegas. Laura Seitz, Deseret Information
Former Utah soccer participant Britain Covey sprints throughout Utah’s professional day on the Spence & Cleone Eccles Soccer Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis on Thursday, March 24, 2022. Covey turned NFL scouts heads when he posted a blazing 4.43 within the 40-yard sprint. Laura Seitz, Deseret Information
Utah Utes broad receiver Britain Covey returns a kick off for a landing throughout to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
All through his life, former Utah star Britain Covey has been discounted due to his diminutive stature.
However he’s at all times thrived on proving folks incorrect.
Now, Covey is trying to take his abilities to the subsequent stage because the NFL draft kicks off Thursday.
As soon as once more, there are those who may doubt him due to his dimension — and due to his age. The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder from Provo turned 25 in April.
Covey joined the Utes as a freshman in 2015, then served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chile. He returned and ended up being Utah’s all-time chief in punt return yardage.
Throughout his profession, Covey made spectacular performs, together with a game-changing punt return for a landing in opposition to Oregon in November, and an electrifying 97-yard kickoff return within the Rose Bowl in opposition to Ohio State in January. He additionally caught 184 passes for two,011 yards and 11 touchdowns as a receiver at Utah.
On professional day in March, Covey ran a formidable 4.43 within the 40-yard sprint.
Former Utah soccer participant Britain Covey sprints throughout Utah’s professional day on the Spence & Cleone Eccles Soccer Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis on Thursday, March 24, 2022. Covey turned NFL scouts heads when he posted a blazing 4.43 within the 40-yard sprint.
Laura Seitz, Deseret Information
“Greater than something, as a participant, you need to present what makes you distinctive. There are many totally different variations of comparable gamers. I really feel like I’m a singular kind of participant,” Covey stated throughout professional day. “There are at all times considerations about dimension. However so long as you convey one thing distinctive to the desk, I believe these considerations fade away. You don’t have to be 6-foot-1 as a punt returner or slot receiver. You simply don’t. I’m simply attempting to point out what makes me distinctive. I hope I received to do this.”
Covey possesses intangible qualities that he hopes will translate from faculty to the NFL.
“You'll be able to’t educate velocity. Greater than that, you may’t educate playmaking skill. You'll be able to’t educate operating with the ball or imaginative and prescient,” he stated. “These are sure issues that you simply develop at a younger age and it’s actually exhausting to develop them in a while. You'll be able to develop good routes, catching skill. However the skill to run with the ball in an open discipline, it’s developed from a younger age.”
Whereas some gamers attempt to turn into kick return specialists within the NFL to extend their worth to groups, Covey already has loads of expertise returning punts and kickoffs.
“It’s much more technical than folks suppose. It’s quite a bit more durable. I've 10 various things that run by way of my thoughts earlier than a return,” he stated. “The extra you are able to do is healthier. That’s why everybody desires to do it. I believe folks return there to catch a punt and so they notice that it’s in all probability, apart from quarterback, the toughest factor in soccer. Now put 250-pound guys operating at you and do it.”
Covey aimed to point out NFL groups his all-around skill on professional day. He believes he has quite a bit to supply as a large receiver.
“I hope they noticed what they have been searching for. I’m excited. I attempt to think about myself as fairly self-aware of what my position is. As a return man, that’s the principle factor I’ll go to,” he stated. “I’m actually excited to shock some folks on the slot (receiver place). I even felt like my routes at the moment stunned some folks by how crisp they're and the way pure I really feel at receiver. I'd like to go in as a return man after which be one of many prime 4 receivers on a staff.”
On professional day, Covey wore custom-made cleats that allowed him to pay homage to 6 “undersized heroes” that loved profitable NFL careers.
These six gamers — former Ute Steve Smith Jr., NFL free brokers Cole Beasley and Tyrann Mathieu, former New England Patriots star Julian Edelman, former BYU and NFL operating again Vai Sikahema and former NFL operating again/return specialist Darren Sproles.
The cleats additionally sported a No. 22, in tribute to Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, the 2 Ute teammates who died between December 2020 and September 2021.
Covey stated the cleats have been designed in collaboration with artist Dustin Mathews and so they featured a quote: “It’s not the dimensions of the canine within the battle, it’s the dimensions of the battle within the canine.”
These cleats signify a particular which means for the undersized and underrated Covey, who's the grandson of Stephen R. Covey, the creator of the bestselling ebook “The 7 Habits of Extremely Efficient Individuals.”
“It’s been the story of my life. All these six guys on my footwear, my so-called undersized heroes, have been the story of all of our lives. I had a motto for my faculty profession and it was a quote from my grandpa,” he stated. “It stated, ‘Construct in your strengths, arrange to make weaknesses turn into irrelevant.’ That’s the factor. One in all my weaknesses, technically, could be blocking a linebacker.
“However I’m so fast that I can run off a linebacker and he’s so nervous about me getting open that it’s mainly the identical factor as blocking him. Constructing in your strengths and organizing to make weaknesses turn into irrelevant has form of fueled me. No mix invite, particularly when some guys that received the invite, I had significantly better numbers than they did. It fuels the fireplace.”
Utah Utes broad receiver Britain Covey returns a kick off for a landing throughout to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information