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PROVO — It's been a long offseason for BYU offensive lineman Tejan Koroma.
The FWAA freshman all-American from Allen, Texas endured his share of high-profile shaming following the results of BYU's loss to Memphis in the Miami Beach Bowl that ended in a brawl. ESPN camera crews captured Koroma in the thick of the fight, and his role in the ordeal has been heavily debated in news columns, television broadcasts, blogs and podcasts around the country.
So it was no surprise that he's looking forward to the Cougars' road opener at Nebraska. When Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MT arrives, he hopes to be able to take out his frustrations on someone other than BYU nose tackle Travis Tuiloma, his matchup throughout fall camp.
"I'm so excited," Koroma said. "I hate going up against Travis; he's my friend. I don't like being mean to him."
Koroma addressed the media Tuesday afternoon, and while it was the first time he has spoken since the incident in Miami, he — like each of the players who has trotted out to the media — was mostly silent when asked if he was one of the players who would be on the plane ride to Nebraska.
"Hopefully. You know what I mean?" Koroma said. "We'll just see come Saturday how it goes."
Koroma said the team already knows the complete traveling roster, including the new sneakers given to each player who will go to Lincoln, but they aren't speaking publicly about any potential suspensions.
"The game's on Saturday. I guess we'll see Saturday how that goes," he said coyly. "We're almost there. I guess we'll see."
The 6-foot, 290-pound center was held out for each of BYU's two scrimmages during fall camp, but Koroma said he was told that was more for his health's sake — and the lack of a true, experience backup in the middle of the offensive line.
"I think it was all for the best interest of the team, to see who else we got on and who else can play center," Koroma added. "Travis didn't play, and a lot of starters didn't play. Maybe it's a health thing. I think it was in the best interest of the team to keep me out."
The Cougars went through several replacement centers to try to find a backup to Koroma, finally settling on junior Parker Dawe in the middle. But before the 6-3, 295-pounder earned the job, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall plugged in almost every member of the offensive line to find another center.
Still, he doesn't plan on making any suspensions public before Saturday's opener.
"I don't plan to announce it until after the game, if that," he said Monday. "Not before the game."
Beyond the basics of run-vs.-pass blocking and snapping the ball, Koroma will be relied on as one of the leaders on this year's team, despite his age. Quarterback Taysom Hill included him in a group that also featured fellow lineman Ryker Mathews, defensive end Bronson Kaufusi and wide receiver Mitch Mathews when asked about to whom the Cougars will look when plays begin to break down.
"I think, first off, it starts with the leaders," Hill added. "If they see something going wrong and they act sour, it's easy for that vibe to trickle down throughout the team.
"Our mentality is, regardless of what happens, we're going to step up and do better the next play."
In the Huskers, Koroma expects the job of his fellow linemates to have a dramatic effect on the end result.
"I think people are expecting the Nebraska defensive line to take care of us," he said. "But I think it really is up to us to take this game over and be the ones to help out this football team."
Whether he starts at center or Dawe comes to his aide in relief, Koroma is confident in each of his nine lineman on the two-deep roster.
"We've been working really hard this fall camp, and I think come Nebraska, whether it's the ones or the twos in there, I think we are all ready to go," Koroma said. "I think we will all play a great football game."
