Ready to ride: BYU’s Ed Lamb in the saddle of fulfilling but challenging journey

BYU assistant head coach is much more than Kalani Sitake’s righthand man, he’s a riding partner and example to his 11-year-old son with autism

Ed Lamb talks football all day at BYU. Then he goes home to his 11-year-old son who doesn’t talk at all.

Edward was born with severe autism and is nonverbal.

“He has said five or six words in his life,” said Ed, the assistant head football coach at BYU. “The words come and go. He may use one or two of them for a year and then they will leave him.”

Finding ways to communicate has stretched Ed and Sarah Lamb beyond anything they thought possible.

The two met as neighbor kids in Pleasanton, California. They dated through high school, Ricks College and BYU and were married in 1997 to begin a life of family and football. Anna was born two years later, followed by Amelia and Summer.

Then came Edward.

Six weeks into his life Sarah noticed a slew of newborn mannerisms that were different from the girls.

“I knew without a shadow of a doubt that there was something wrong,” Sarah said. “We saw a specialist and she said it was autism and it was probably going to be severe.”

Eleven years later, Edward remains a full-time job. He is 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds and growing. He can’t feed himself and may never be potty trained.

“Being nonverbal, we are blessed because he is such a loving and happy kid,” Ed said. “But when he’s frustrated and can’t communicate there is extreme frustration on his part. If you walk past our house at the wrong time, you will hear some screaming.”

The Lambs are used to screaming. They live in the shadow of LaVell Edwards Stadium where Ed played as a student-athlete, coached as a graduate-assistant, and just finished his sixth season on Kalani Sitake’s staff.

On game days, Edward likes to play in the back yard while dad is at work. The sound of the stadium crowd and the explosions from the George Q. Cannon after every BYU touchdown stimulate his senses. He loves the annual July 4 Stadium of Fire show for the same reason.

Two years ago, the Lambs learned that Edward is happiest on a horse when family friend Layne Batty invited him to take a ride at his ranch. The connection was instant.

“The only two words he has put together in his life are ‘go horse!’” said Ed. “That’s what he lives for — our horse rides together.”

They are not quite Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but Ed and Edward are regular riders, especially in BYU’s offseason. It’s where Edward becomes King Edward — the ruler of his mysterious world.

“Being on a horse has a calming influence on him,” said Ed. “Initially, we had to strap him into the saddle. Now he rides without any restraints. He rides through the chutes with his hands in the air.”

Football occupies much of Lamb’s time during the day, but late afternoons or evenings in the stirrups have opened doors to new ways of communicating, where words aren’t necessary.