Byron Hout's redshirt died Wednesday while blocking on a kick return against Louisiana Tech. It was eight months old.
Hout's redshirt, long thought to live a full and complete life on the scout team, had fallen on hard times lately due to something coaches called "excelling in practice." The terminal descent from fake Bowling Green defensive end to real-life Bronco wedge buster happened over a matter of days, and the Bronco coaching staff could do nothing to stop it before it was too late.
Born in spring practice, Hout's redshirt had a secure upbringing amid missed assignments and not being able to bench 250 pounds. Even as the first games of the 2008 season approached, the redshirt appeared safe thanks to a deep stable of Boise State linebackers and defensive ends. But the genetics of being a two-time Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year winner and a four-star recruit quickly caught up with it.
Funeral services are expected to be held every Saturday beginning on October 11 at the special teams unit and at backup defensive end/linebacker hybrid.
The redshirt lived a full life, albeit a short one. Free from some of the more demanding responsibilities of being a full-time Bronco, the redshirt enjoyed midnight Slurpee runs with dormmates and going on group blind dates. On the field, it made a name for itself fetching the seniors' gym bags and bringing the coaches doughnuts. Hout's redshirt enjoyed jumping offsides, not sealing the end, and doing extra push-ups, and it was an avid XBox enthusiast.
Hout's redshirt is survived by the redshirts of Chris Potter and Faraji Wright as well as the impending letters of intent from Joe Southwick and Kirby Moore.
Read more: Midweek kickoffs worth stomaching [Scott Slant]