13-0: Reflections of Champions

by Candace E. Salima

Could a college football team from the Rocky Mountains be crowned the best in the land? The idea was unthinkable—until BYU’s 1984 team took the national championship. The Cougars’ perfect season left traditional college football powerhouses by the wayside, mesmerizing the national media and energizing fans. That year has been the stuff of legends ever since. What made that year so unique—and where are the players now? Inside this book you will
• Compelling summaries of each game
• Biographies of thirty players and coaches
• Dozens of photos, including current ones of players’ families
• Players’ thoughts on how the season changed their lives
• The positive ripples still seen as a result of that unforgettable experience Immerse yourself in the magical season of 1984 and meet the remarkable men who achieved a seemingly unreachable goal.

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2005

About the author

The author of five books, Candace E. Salima was born right smack dab in the middle of twelve children. Descended of a long line of artists, musicians and authors, Candace can barely remember a time when reading wasn't an integral part of her life. Her love of books, reading and writing, was born of hearing her mother read nightly from the James Herriot series about a veterinarian's mishaps in the British countryside. She thrived in a family of readers, began writing original stories at the age of eleven and has never looked back. The daughter of a father who survived the invasion of Hitler's war machine in his homeland and a mother who is an often controversial conservative columnist, Candace spent her childhood on the back of a horse or trudging through the mountains and valleys of the American west. In the course of her life, Candace has been a reporter, a writer of health booklets, a screenwriter, and a teacher. Her philosophy in life is simple . . . everything can be turned into a good story. Hence her nine day rafting trip down the Colorado River, hiking the Colorado Rockies, or horseback riding in the northern Wyoming Grand Teton mountains. A love of BYU football, basketball, swimming, movies, plays, concerts and socializing with family and friends round out her life. All this, and she still prefers to be curled up on her couch with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate and a blustery Winnie-the-Pooh day brewing outside.

Reviews

[Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An educational book regarding how BYU and BYU football affects lives. It makes clear that football players and champions are just ordinary people who work very hard to keep commitments -- also that success builds confidence and faith to live as we ought for years following. This book is worthwhile reading for any young football aspirant and especially for any who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The religious commitment of both coaches and team leaders is striking. BYU fans will enjoy and appreciate the stroll down memory lane.