Bear Bachmeier, the starting quarterback for Brigham Young University (BYU), shared insights into his faith and its significance in his life and athletic experience before leading the team to a commanding 69-0 victory against an unnamed opponent at LaVell Edwards Stadium. In an interview with BYUtv Sports Nation aired prior to the game, he reflected on how his religious beliefs align with the values upheld at the university.
Despite not being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors BYU, Bachmeier emphasized the positive influence of the school’s faith-oriented atmosphere. He is a Catholic, having grown up attending church regularly, and continues to do so with his family in Orem. “We still go to church actually in Orem,” he stated, mentioning his older brother and teammate, Tiger Bachmeier.
Bachmeier praised the spiritual environment at BYU, stating, “I think just the faith-oriented environment — I mean, I use the word elevate — but it elevates our spiritual game exponentially.” He noted that prayer is a staple before meetings and classes, which has contributed significantly to enhancing his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “Being in this environment has just helped immensely in growing my spiritual aspect with Jesus Christ, and that played a big factor in coming here,” he added.
Valuing Family and Sacrifice
The quarterback also expressed appreciation for the sacrifices made by his family, a sentiment inspired by head coach Kalani Sitake’s emphasis on the three pillars of faith, family, and football. “When Coach Kalani’s talking about family, it just brings tears to your eyes because you take for granted what your dad, what your mom did for you,” he shared. His reflections on family prompted him to reach out to his parents more frequently. “After a lot of meetings, when he’s talking about parents and how much they gave to you, I call my mom and I just say, ‘I love you and thank you for everything.’ Likewise, with my dad,” he explained.
For Bachmeier, playing football at BYU has been transformative. He described his experience as “the best” he has ever had, citing valuable lessons learned from Coach Sitake.
As the team prepares to face Stanford in their second game of the season, Bachmeier’s commitment to both his faith and his family continues to shape his journey on and off the field.
