<H2>BYU's Criddle now living a dream</H2>
<DIV =byline>
By Jeff Call
Deseret Morning News
<DIV =timestamp>Published: Aug. 9, 2007 12:07 a.m. MDT
<DIV =timestamp>
<DIV =timestamp>PROVO  During the week of the TCU game nearly two years ago, a walk-on named Ben Criddle entered BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall's office to discuss his status on the team.
"He told me it wasn't very probable that I'd get any playing time that season," Criddle recalled this week. "So I said, 'I'd like to redshirt because I'm going to start the next two years and be All- Mountain West Conference."'
It seemed like a brash, audacious statement from a non-scholarship player who failed to attract attention from any Division I schools after playing at Glendale Community College in Arizona.
Mendenhall remembers the conversation. What was his reaction to Criddle's bold declaration that he would be a two-year starter and an all-conference performer?
"I discounted it immediately," he recalled. "I don't remember what my response was, other than internally knowing that it would play out as it needed to."
As it played out, Criddle locked down the starting cornerback job the following spring, which he's held ever since. He was sidelined for the Las Vegas Bowl last December due to a foot injury and in January was awarded a scholarship. After sitting out of spring drills after undergoing surgery, Criddle says the foot is doing well.
While he's dealing with a swollen ankle, he says he'll be ready for the season-opener against Arizona on Sept. 1.
Remembering his conversation with Mendenhall, Criddle smiles, knowing he has unfinished business. "I still need to get All-Mountain West Conference for me to fulfill my promise to him, which I feel I can do this year."
After recording 53 tackles, two interceptions and nine pass break-ups, Criddle deserved consideration for All-MWC honors last season.
"You could make an argument with his statistics that he might have been considered," Mendenhall said. "He's one of the few players that has come into my office and made a statement like that, then actually backed it up."
From the outside, what Criddle has experienced the past year or so looks like a meteoric rise up the depth chart. But for the 6-foot, 185-pound senior, it's been a long road.
"I feel extremely blessed," he said. "I don't know how to describe it other than, it's living a dream. I really wanted to come here to BYU, walk on, and live a dream. I worked hard to get to this point, and I plan on continuing to work hard. I definitely feel blessed to get this far."
Two years ago, Criddle showed up to the walk-on tryouts on the first day of school. While he made the team, he was simply regarded as just another walk-on. "They allowed me to be part of the team," he said.
"I wore a white helmet with no 'Y' on it. I was a player on the scout team."
Criddle attributes much of his success to the offensive coaches who saw him in practice. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae, running-backs coach Lance Reynolds and former offensive line coach Jeff Grimes repeatedly told Mendenhall that Criddle was a playmaker.
"From the minute school started, he demonstrated against our offense on the scout team that he was a competitor," Mendenhall said.
"It's not incredible athleticism, it's not fantastic ability  though he does have solid ability. He is passionate about football. He probably studies more game film than anyone in our secondary, along with (safety) Quinn Gooch. He loves the game, and he's been a joy to coach."
Criddle watches eight to 10 hours of film every week prior to a game. "If you're a student of the game, then you can anticipate things that are going to happen before they happen," he said. "It helps me prepare. I don't run a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash.
I'm actually a safety playing corner. I need all the help I can get. If I can have a mental edge on somebody, I have to use my intellect to be better than someone else. Watching film helps me do that."
Even with a scholarship and a starting role, Criddle is not satisfied. He has his sights on becoming an All-MWC cornerback. "I've always had a chip on my shoulder," he said. "I have to prove myself every single day, every single week. I want to be the best, and I'm driven to that goal."
