NOVEMBER 7-11, 2016 / MONTANAKAIMIN.COM / THE LAST BEST COLLEGE NEWS
BRAWL OF THE WILD
GAMEDAY JLM’s meteoric rise
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Day in the life of a bando And more inside!
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GAMEDAY
JLM: The rise of Montana’s newest star By Nick Puckett Nicholas.puckett@umontana.edu
It was Saturday. Jerry Louie-McGee stood near Montana’s 20-yard line alone, waiting to return a punt from Idaho State. The trademark long, brown hair falling down his back makes him discernable from a distance. The 16 on his back has become one of the most recognizable numbers on the Montana football team. To his right, the student section chanted his name. He figured it was just his buddies messing with him. The chanting grew louder. “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry…” — resembling a Jerry Springer audience. Two months ago, few Montana fans knew who Louie-McGee was. He wasn’t supposed to get this big. He’s not even on a full scholarship. He earned a spot as a walk-on redshirt in 2015, his freshman year. After turning heads as a kick returner during spring scrimmages, he earned a spot as the Grizzlies’ No. 1 ‘Z’ receiver. His six receptions against Saint Francis on opening day 2016 led the team. From there, Louie-McGee made a name for himself. He zig-zagged through would-be Northern Iowa tacklers one week later to score the winning touchdown on a punt return. He caught a school record 21 passes against Cal Poly two weeks after that. Louie-McGee was Montana’s ‘X’ factor. Broadcasters dubbed him “The Electrician” for his ability to spark a momentous play. Fans quickly learned who ‘Jerry’ was -- the unlikely superhero to an up-and-down season for Montana. Despite missing three games in the middle of the season to an ankle injury, Louie-McGee leads the Griz in receiving with 67 catches for 622 yards. His prowess as an end zone threat on each play forces opponents to gameplan against him. Though head coach Bob Stitt doesn’t usually use Louie-McGee as an intentional decoy “sometimes, it just happens that way,” he said. “More Jerry, more Jerry,” Stitt said following a 45-23 victory over Southern Utah Oct. 1, a game in which Louie-McGee hauled in nine catches for 118 yards. “It’s a bit like ‘More cowbell.’” They chanted his name each time he went back for a punt toward Washington-Grizzly Stadium’s south end zone during Montana’s Nov. 5 game against Idaho State. “As a little kid,” Louie-McGee said, “you always think of something like that happening. It’s not very big, but it’s very cool to have people support you like that, cheer you on.” *** On the Idaho State sideline is Louie-McGee’s older brother, Tucker. The redshirt-sophomore return specialist played the role opposite of Jerry. Wade McGee and Debbie Louie-McGee sat on opposite ends of the field -- dad on the Grizzly’s side, mom on the Bengal’s. Mom beamed with a custom-made, sewn-together half-Montana, half-Idaho State hat. Tucker and Jerry didn’t talk before the game. They didn’t need to. They had played with each other in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, since they were kids. To Jerry, playing against his big brother was nostalgic. “It was pretty weird seeing him cross the sideline,” Jer-
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ry said. “My thought was, ‘Wow, we’re getting pretty old.’” Jerry and Tucker grew up on the Coeur d’Alene reservation, 40 miles south of the city it’s named after. Before Jerry began his freshman year of high school, his parents bought a house in Coeur d’Alene, but kept their jobs on the reservation. Jerry and Tucker’s parents drove them 30 minutes each way, often longer if it snowed, so they could attend Lake City High School. “They put Tucker and me where we’re at,” Louie-McGee said. “They made that sacrifice for me and Tucker to play football and get a better education.” Two years later, Tucker was recruited by Idaho State, a Big Sky Conference school in southeastern Idaho. When Jerry was a senior, Idaho State didn’t recruit him. But his explosive style of play did catch the eye of Mike Ferriter, Idaho State’s inside receivers coach. Ferriter coached Tucker, a high school quarterback-turned-return specialist, and knew the family well.
He saw Jerry play at a camp in Coeur d’Alene during Jerry’s senior year and was sold immediately. “Every time he would touch the ball, he’d score a touchdown,” Ferriter said. Ferriter took the job as Montana’s inside receivers coach in 2015. He had one player in mind to play ‘Z’ receiver in the spread offense of new head coach Bob Stitt: the fivefoot-nine speedster from Coeur d’Alene. Louie-McGee wasn’t guaranteed a spot on Montana’s roster. He walked on as a freshman and impressed coaches with his speed, quickness and vision. Stitt let Jerry on the team as redshirt. “You can’t make any mistakes at all,” Louie-McGee said of being a walk-on. “Even in high school, I worked my tail off to prove I could play at this level.” Louie-McGee surfaced as a kickoff return threat during 2016 spring drills. He opened a scrimmage game with a 99yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He added two more touchdown receptions in that same game. “In spring ball we had three, four, five good players we knew who were capable of doing it,” Ferriter said. “So we slowly threw him out there. As spring ball progressed, we saw that he would be the guy.” *** It was the second quarter. Montana trailed Idaho State 31-27. The game was supposed to be a blowout. Chad Chalich, Montana’s senior backup quarterback, earned the starting nod over the injured Brady Gustafson. He had already thrown for four touchdowns in the half and led Montana to their own 48-yard line. Chalich took the first-down snap. Louie-McGee got a jump off the line of scrimmage. He ran a seam down the middle of the field, one step ahead of his man. Chalich floated the ball to Louie-McGee, and the receiver sprinted underneath it. It was a jog from there to the end zone. “He’s becoming a better route-runner, and he’s becoming better at seeing defenses and reading defenses...He’s not leaving it all up to just his natural ability,” Ferriter said. The deep, vertical routes didn’t put Louie-McGee on the map. He’s known for creating space in his routes and earning yards after the catch. But the pass from Chalich demonstrated the new Louie-McGee -- Montana’s do-it-all playmaker. “I still have that mindset that I’m never satisfied,” Louie-McGee said. During breaks in practice or games he’ll crack a joke to help himself stay relaxed. His teammates and coaches maintain his nonchalant style of play as “just Jerry being Jerry.” “He lightens the mood in tense situations” Ferriter said. “I get stressed out sometimes too, so having a guy that’s happy-go-lucky most of the time, it’s good for me.” When he’s back to receive a punt, Louie-McGee doesn’t always notice the chanting student section. He zones out, and thinks of what comes next. It’s the little in-between moments that help him stay focused. It’s what got him here, he said. Without it, he’s not the same player -- the player leading Montana in receiving and is a candidate for FCS Freshman of the Year. “I don’t let anything get to my head,” he said. “I feel like I don’t need to change when I’m out on the football field. Just keep doing what I’m doing.” •
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GRIZ #1 Treshawn Favors, RB, Glendale, Ariz. / Mountain Ridge HS #1 Markell Sanders, CB, Renton, Wash. / Eastside Catholic HS #2 Gresch Jensen, QB , Auburn, Wash. / Auburn Mountainview HS #2 Ryan McKinley, CB, Anthem, Ariz. / Boulder Creek HS #3 Mick Delaney , S , Bozeman, Mont. / Bozeman HS #3 Brady Gustafson, QB , Billings, Mont. / West HS #4 James Homan , WR , Brenham, Texas / Brenham HS #4 Holden Ryan, LB , Billings, Mont. / Central Catholic HS #5 Kobey Eaton, WR , Vancouver, Wash. / Evergreen HS #5 Justin Strong, S , Rialto, Calif. / Summit HS #6 Keenan Curran , WR , Federal Way, Wash. / Federal Way HS #7 Lamarriel Taylor, WR , Chula Vista, Calif. / Mission Bay HS #8 Jeremy Calhoun , RB , Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Poly HS #9 Justin Calhoun, WR , Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Poly HS #9 Yamen Sanders, S , Inglewood, Calif. / Culver City HS #10 Brandon Bea, QB , Murfreesboro, Tenn. / Riverdale HS #10 Connor Strahm, LB , Eugene, Ore. / Sheldon HS #11 Chad Chalich , QB , Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Coeur d'Alene HS #11 TJ Reynard, CB , Virginia Beach, Va. / Greenbrier Christian #12 Korey Alexander , DB Pittsburg, Calif. / Pittsburg HS #12 Reese Phillips, QB , Chattanooga, Tenn. / Signal Mountain HS #13 Connor Kaegi, QB , Ashland, Ore. / Ashland HS #13 Josh Sandry, S , Bigfork, Mont. / Bigfork HS #14 Lane Hovey, WR , Adel, Iowa / Adel-Desoto-Minburn HS #15 Retired in Honor of Dave Dickenson #16 Jerry Louie-McGee, WR, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Lake City HS #17 Makena Simis, WR , Boise, Idaho / Capital HS #18 JR Nelson, CB, Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Glen Wilson HS #19 Samuel Akem , WR , Broken Arrow, Okla. / Broken Arrow HS #20 John Nguyen , RB , Bellevue, Wash. / Bellevue HS #21 Joey Counts, RB , Mesa, Ariz. / Desert Ridge HS #22 Retired in Honor of Terry Dillon #23 Caleb Lyons, WR, Lakewood, Wash. / Lakes HS #24 Rey Green , RB , Vancouver, Wash. / Union HS #25 Shane Moody, CB, Parker, Colo. / Regis Jesuit HS #26 Josh Egbo, DB , Gilbert, Ariz. / Highland HS #27 Lewis Cowans, CB, Mission Viejo, Calif. / Mission Viejo HS #28 Jerrin Williams, S , Vancouver, Wash. / Evergreen HS #29 Brody Martinez, RB, Federal Way, Wash. / Todd Beamer HS #30 Evan Epperly, S, Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS #31 Trase Le Texier , LB, Boulder, Mont. / Jefferson County HS #32 Gavin Crow, S , Kennewick, Wash. / Kamiakin HS #33 Dante Olson, LB, Medford, Ore. / Cascade Christian HS #34 Jace Lewis , LB , Townsend, Mont. / Broadwater County HS #35 Eric Williams , KP, Missoula, Mont. / Loyola Sacred Heart #36 James Banks, LB, Junction City, Ore. / Sheldon HS #37 Caleb Kidder, DE , Helena, Mont. / Helena Capital HS #38 Cody McCombs, RB, Billings Mont. / West HS #39 Brandon Purdy, KP, Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS #40 Cy Sirmon, LB, Wenatchee, Wash. / Wenatchee HS
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#42 Josh Buss, LB, Boise, Idaho / Mountain View HS #43 Nate Bradley, DT, Billings, Mont. / West HS #44 Tucker Schye, DE, Malta, Mont. / Malta HS #45 Vika Fa'atuiese, LB, Vista, Calif. / Vista HS #46 Trace Bradshaw, DL, Bozeman, Mont. / Bozeman HS #47 Cole Rosling, DL, Helena, Mont. / Capital HS #48 Donald Bedell, DE, Fair Haven, N.J. / Rumson-Fair Haven #49 Jesse Sims, DE , Stevensville, Mont. / Corvallis HS #50 Aaron Held, LS , Sacramento, Calif. / El Camino HS #51 Mike Ralston, OL , Eugene, Ore. / Sheldon HS #52 Caleb Mitchell , LS, North Bend, Wash. / Mount Si HS #54 Gage Smith, LB, Whitefish, Mont. / Whitefish HS #55 Kyle Davis, DT, San Diego, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic HS #56 Alex Thomas, LB, Great Falls, Mont. / C.M. Russell HS #57 Shayne Cochran, LB , Culbertson, Mont. / Culbertson HS #60 Jackson Thiebes, OL, Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS #62 Dylan Eickmeyer , OG , Tucson, Ariz. / Salpointe Catholic HS #65 Cody Meyer, OL , San Marcos, Calif. / San Marcos HS #66 Ashton Torres, OT, Aurora, Colo. / Cherokee Trail HS #67 Thayne Jackson , OG , Gilbert, Ariz. / Gilbert HS #68 McCauley Todd, OL , Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Washington HS #69 Randy Rodriguez, DT , Peoria, AZ / Centenial #70 Ben Weyer, OL , Bozeman, Mont. / Bozeman HS #71 Devon Dietrich, OL, Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville HS #72 Cooper Sprunk, OL , Tigard, Ore. / Jesuit HS #73 Brandon Scott , OT , Owasso, Okla. / Owasso HS #74 Angel Villanueva, OL, Duarte, Calif. / Duarte HS #75 Robert Luke , C, Tacoma, Wash. / Charles Wright Academy HS #76 David Reese , OL, Happy Valley, Ore. / Clackamas HS #77 Dallas Hart, OL, Cypress, Calif. / Pacifica HS #78 Conlan Beaver, OT, Fredericksburg, Va. / Massaponax HS #79 Max Kelly, OL, Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Prep HS #80 Josh Horner, WR, Great Falls, Mont. / C.M. Russell HS #81 Mitch McLaughlin, WR, Riverside, Calif. / Riverside Poly HS #82 Samori Toure, WR, Portland, Ore. / Westview HS #83 Brennan Corbin, WR, Anaheim, Calif. / Villa Park HS #84 Jed Nagler, WR, Whitefish, Mont. / Whitefish HS #86 Ben Hardy, WR , Fairview, Mont. / Fairview HS #87 Dareon Nash, WR, Covina, Calif. / Charter Oak HS #88 Colin Bingham, WR, Missoula, Mont. / Big Sky HS #89 Tim Semenza, K, San Diego, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic HS #91 Brandt Davidson, DT, Tucson, Ariz / Salpointe Catholic HS #92 Myles Mckee-Osibodu, DT, Sana Ana, Calif. / Centennial HS #93 Zach Peevey, DT, Mont. / Hellgate HS #94 Devin Maua, DE, Billings, Mont. / Senior HS #95 Andrew Harris, DE, Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS #97 Ryan Johnson, DE, Vancouver, Wash. / Mountain View HS #98 Esai Longoria, DT, Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS #99 Reggie Tilleman, DE, Genesee, Idaho / Genesee HS
#1 Tre’von Strong, CB, Billings, MT / Skyview #2 Gunnar Brekke, RB , Helena, MT / Capital #2 Shiloh LaBoy, DE, Honolulu, HI / Kalani #3 Justin Paige, WR, Katy, TX / Morton Ranch #4 Brandon Brown, WR, Austin, TX /Vandegrift #5 Braelen Evans, CB, Frisco, TX / Hebron #6 Robert Wilcox, DL, Frisco, TX / Princeton #7 Naijiel Hale, CB , Bellflower, CA / Bosco #7 Will Krolick, WR, Anchorage, AK / South #8 Chris Harris, DB, Lake Elsinore, CA / Elsinore #8 Chris Murray, QB, Inglewood, CA / Lawndale #9 Tavon Dodd, CB, Houston, TX / John H. Reagan #10 Bryson McCabe, DB, Spirit Lake, IA / Spirit Lake #11 Tyler Bruggman, QB, Phoenix, AZ / Brophy Prep #11 Lukas McCarthy, LB, La Habra, CA / Sonora #12 Ben Folsom, QB, Jackson, MT / Beaverhead County #12 Khari Garcia, DB, Pomona, CA / Charter Oak #13 Karl Tucker II, W, Great Falls, MT / CMR #14 Brady McChesne, QB, Kalispell, MT / Glacier #15 Austin Barth, TE, Columbia Falls, MT / Columbia Falls #16 Kamden Brown, QB, Covina, CA / Charter Oak #17 Chad Newell, RB, Billings, MT / Senior #18 Brayden Konkol, S, Belgrade, MT / Belgrade #19 Jayshawn Gates, WR, Palo Alto, CA / Palo Alto #20 Noah James, RB, Kalispell, MT / Glacier #22 John Walker, CB, Washington, DC / Woodson #23 Nick LaSane, RB, Dallas, TX / Lovejoy #24 Bryce Alley, CB, Houston, TX / North Shore #25 Zach Stern, LB, Tarzana, CA Taft / Santa Monica College #26 Anthony Pegues, RB, Frisco, TX / Centennial #27 Damien Washington, CB, Covina, CA / Charter Oak #28 Logan Jones, RB, Kalispell, MT / Glacier #29 West Wilson, DB, Columbia, MO / Rock Bridge #30 Sean Opland, RB, Troy, MT / Troy #30 Ty Robbie, LB, Park City, MT / Park City #31 Gabe Peppenger, K, Missoula, MT / Sentinel #32 Jakob McCarthy, LB, La Habra, CA / Sonora #33 Jessie Clark, DE, Amite, LA / St. Helena #34 Blake Braun, LB, Riverside, CA / Redlands East Valley #35 Balue Chapman, LB, Bozeman, MT / Bozeman #36 Will Martel, DB, Bozeman, MT / Bozeman #37 Sidney Holmes, DB, Silsbee, TX / Beaumont #38 Brian Campbell, S, Covington, WA / Kentwood #38 Nich Van Horssen, RB, Clancy, MT / Helena #39 Dylan Stenseth, FB, Lewistown, MT / Fergus #40 Jered Padmos, P/K, Boulder, MT / Jefferson #40 Blake Sylvester, LB, Corvallis, MT / Corvallis #41 Grant Collins, LB, Bozeman, MT / Bozeman #42 Joey Michael, LB, Cashmere, WA / Cashmere #43 Walker Cozzie, LB, Helena, MT / Capital #44 Koni Dole, LB, Huntley Project, MT / Huntley Project #45 Luke Daly, K, Billings, MT / Central #46 Woody Brandom, TE, Corona, CA / Santiago #47 Keegan Bray, DL, Spokane, WA / Ferris #48 Jacob Hadley, S, Billings, MT / Central #49 Mac Bignell, LB, Drummond, MT / Drummond #50 Chase Benson, DE, Helena, MT / Helena #51 B. J. Ojo, LB, Houston, TX / Marvel #53 Kyle Finch, DL, Dillon, MT / Beaverhead #54 Monte Folsom, OL, Dillon, MT / Beaverhead #55 Dylan Mahoney, OL, Great Falls, MT / CM Russell #56 Brandon Hayashi, DT, Merced, CA / Merced #56 Rocky Hogue, LS, Merced, CA / Merced #57 Tyrone Fa’anono, DL, Oxnard, CA Oaks Christian
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Josh Hill, LB, Rf. Kalispell, MT / Glacier Fletcher Collins, LB, Seattle, WA / Seattle Prep Taylor Tuiasosopo, OL, Lancaster, CA / Paraclete Jake Sessions, OL, Colstrip, MT / Colstrip Kyle Murack, OL, Conrad, MT / Conrad Mitch Brott, OT, Billings, MT / West Lane Knows His Gun, OG, Colstrip, MT / Colstrip Patrick Carroll, OT, La Canada, CA / St. Francis Luke Channer, OL, 6-3 280 Fr. Corvallis, MT / Corvallis Jake McFetridge, OG, Huntington Beach, CA / Huntington Beach Jarrod Asche, OL, Glendive, MT / Dawson County Garrett Gregg, DT, Afton, WY / Star Valley Denver Krone, OL, Choteau, MT / Choteau Alex Neale, C, Duvall, WA / Eastside Catholic Conner Floden, OL, El Dorado, CA / Oak Ridge Colin Hammock, OL, Missoula, MT / Sentinel Caleb Gillis, OL, Glenn, MT / Beaverhead County Wade Webster, OL, Bettendorf, IA / Bettendorf JP Flynn, OL, Bettendorf, IA / Bettendorf Kash Perry, OL, Utica, MT / Denton-Stanford-Geyser Wilson Brott, OT, Billings, MT / West Curtis Amos, Jr. , TE, Burleson, TX / Centennial Dalton Daum, WR, Butte, MT / Butte Mitchell Herbert, WR, Eugene, OR / Sheldon Hunter Mahlum, WR, Missoula, MT / Hellgate Devon Tandberg, K, Auburn, WA / Mountainview Cameron Sutton, WR, Norco, CA / Norco Kevin Kassis, WR, El Dorado, CA / Oak Ridge Keon Stephens, WR, Rancho Cucamunga, CA / Etiwanda Connor Sullivan, TE , Ennis, MT / Ennis John D’Agostino, WR, Bozeman, MT / Bozeman Clark Judisch, TE, Conrad, MT / Conrad Fou Polataivao, DT, Medford, OR / N. Medford Michael Jobman, DE, Huntley Project, MT / Huntley Project Tucker Yates, DT, Colstrip, MT / Colstrip Matt Brownlow, DT, Missoula, MT / Sentinel Devin Jeffries, DL, Kalispell, MT / Glacier Derek Marks, DL, Belgrade, MT / Belgrade Zach Wright, DL, New Braunfels, TX / New Braunfels Lewis Kidd, DE, Fridley, MN / Totino-Grace Austin Barrette, LB, Santa Margarita, CA / Santa Margarita Marcus Ferriter, DL, Butte, MT / Central Reggie Tilleman, DE, Genesee, Idaho / Genesee HS
CATS montanakaimin.com
November 16-22, 2016
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GAMEDAY
Griz, Cats in the pros
By Zac Allen zachary3.allen@umontana.edu
Photo by Rebekah Welch / @bekah2493
Kaimin Q+A: Aaron Held By Zac Allen zachary3.allen@umontana.edu
The name Aaron Held may not be instantly recognizable to most Grizzly football fans, but Held plays an important role on Montana’s special teams unit. The redshirt-senior is a three-year All-Big Sky Academic team member. The Kaimin sat down with Held to talk about his role on the team. Montana Kaimin: Where are you from and where did you go to high school? Aaron Held: I’m from Sacramento, California and I went to high school at El Camino Fundamental High School. MK: Did you do any other sports? AH: I did track mainly. MK:: Did you play any other positions in high school? AH: I was a long snapper, but I was also a receiver and a corner. MK: How’d you get into long snapping? AH: Basically, when I started youth football I was a lineman. Then once I got into high school I wasn’t as big anymore, so I switched to receiver, but I knew how to snap because I was a center in youth football, so I learned a little bit then. When I got to high school, they had tryouts for long snapping and I was the best at it, got into it, and as high school got toward the end, I started to realize I was better than most people, so I went to a couple of camps where I got nationally ranked and realized that’s how I could get to college. MK: Do you still have fun long snapping?
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AH: Oh yeah. It is kind of monotonous, but it’s kind of the same as what Eric [Williams] will tell you about punting, where when you have a good snap or any kind of good play, it feels good. It’s exciting. Obviously, especially for games, it’s not like I just snap it and stand there. I snap it, run down, try to cover and block, so it’s not quite as monotonous as it looks. MK: How do you get hyped before games? AH: Really I don’t get hyped; I try to be as calm as possible. A lot of guys make fun of me because before games I actually listen to an audiobook, because I’m a nerd like that, so I just try to get as relaxed and calm as possible. MK: What’s the most recent book you’ve listened to? AH: The one I’m listening to right now is “Origins” by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist. MK: Do you have any other hidden talents? AH: I play drums. When we do the thing during fall camp when the band comes out and plays for us, Josh Dennard, a corner from a couple of years ago, started a tradition when a player comes out and starts the cadence with the drumline, and he passed that on to me once he graduated. MK: What’s your favorite thing about Washington-Grizzly Stadium? AH: We have the best fans in the world. We always fill this place up. There’s no place like it. •
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Now in its 116th edition, the Brawl of the Wild has seen a fair amount of players participate. Of those players, over 150 have played in at least some level of professional football. At the start of the 2016 season, 14 Montana players were in the NFL, more than schools like North Dakota State and Washington State. Montana State had five players on professional rosters. These are some of the players who experienced success at the next level: Trumaine Johnson, CB, University of Montana: A third-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in the 2012 draft, Johnson went on to be a starter for the Rams early in his career where he was the co-leader in interceptions for the 2015 season. In 2016, the Rams, now of Los Angeles, placed a $14 million franchise tag on Johnson. Dane Fletcher, LB, Montana State University: After going undrafted in 2010, the Bozeman native signed with the New England Patriots. He played in the 2011 Super Bowl, where he recorded a tackle in the loss to the New York Giants. He played for both the Patriots and the Bucs in a four-year career, but an ACL tear forced him to miss the 2015 season, and he retired from football soon after. William “Wild Bill” Kelly, QB, University of Montana: The quarterback and kick returner went on to play for the New York Yankees, the NFL franchise of three years, the Frankford Yellow Jackets and the Brooklyn Dodgers, not to be confused with the former Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team. His career lasted from 1927 to 1930, and he died suddenly at age 26 in 1931. Jan Stenerud, K, Montana State University: The Norwegian who was recruited as a ski jumper was seen kicking a football and was offered a tryout on the school’s football team. He once held a college football record by kicking a 59-yard field goal against the Grizzlies. He went on to be one of the first professional players to be used as a dedicated kicker. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was a Super Bowl champion and eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings in a career that lasted from 1967 to 1985. Tim Hauck, S, University of Montana: The Butte native went undrafted after his time at Montana but went on to have a 12-year career in the NFL and play for seven different teams. In 1999, he ended Hall of Famer Michael Irvin’s career with a tackle that caused a spinal cord injury. He would later go on to coach at Montana, among other schools, and the NFL, where he is currently the safeties coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Montana Kaimin Archives Trumaine Johnson tries to amp up the crowd during the Brawl of the Wild game in Bozeman on Nov. 19, 2011.
Bill Kollar, DL, Montana State University: The Ohio native was drafted 23rd overall in the 1974 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played seven seasons with both the Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Following his playing career, he coached for six NFL teams and went on to win the Super Bowl in 2015 with the Denver Broncos as their defensive line coach. Brad Lebo, QB, University of Montana: After a stint with the Cincinnati Bengals, Lebo won an Arena Bowl as a member of the Arizona Rattlers in 1994. He went on to play for another three years before retiring with the Orlando Predators in 1997. Ken Amato, LB/LS, Montana State University: Following his career with the Cats, Amato played for the Tennessee Titans for eight seasons from 2003 to 2011 where he played in 125 games. Scott Gragg, T, University of Montana: Gragg was drafted with the 54th overall pick in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft. He played for 10 seasons, in which he started 149 games with the Giants, 49ers and Jets. Travis Lulay, QB, Montana State University: As a member of the BC Lions, Lulay was named the Most Outstanding Player of the CFL in 2011 and went on to be the MVP of the Grey Cup in that same year, following the Lions’ victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He currently plays for the Lions. Dave Dickenson, QB, University of Montana: One of the greatest passers in Grizzlies history, Dickenson also found success in the CFL. He was a four time Grey Cup champion (three times as a player and once as a coach) and was named the 2000 CFL MOP and 2006 Grey Cup MVP. He is currently the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders. •
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Saturdays are for the bandos: Grizzly Marching Band staple of game day tradition By Isaiah Dunk isaiah.dunk@umontana.edu
There is a group of students at the University of Montana that often go underappreciated on Saturdays when the football team takes to Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Grizzly Marching Band bring excitement to the game day atmosphere every Saturday, but there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes that many fans may not know about. “People can say what they want about being in the band, but it’s a tough gig,” sophomore trumpet player Jayden Peterson said. In addition to halftime shows, the band spends the day in perpetual performance mode, from playing at various locations before the game, to participating in the post-game chant with the football team. The work usually starts early. By kickoff, the Grizzly Marching Band will have already been at it for hours. In a normal week, the band is on the field at Washington-Grizzly Stadium at 8 a.m., four hours before kickoff. They’re in assigned spots, dressed in full uniform with instruments in hand. Peterson is there even earlier to warm up with his fellow trumpet players. Drum majors Kristen Cottom and Matt Rossmiller are the student leaders of the band on Saturdays. They’re perched on stands, checking to make sure everyone in the band is ready for the first game day activity: rehearsal. “We meet in the stadium and run our whole show,” Cottom said. “We’ll fix some things, and we sometimes run the national anthem or ‘America the Beautiful.’”
If there’s time after the morning rehearsal, the Grizzly band leaves the stadium and makes its way to the sidewalk near the Adams Center to play for the Griz Walk. “It’s a really fun thing because people can come and watch. It’s really cool,” Peterson said. After the Griz Walk, the band has to eat lunch, play for the president’s brunch and be ready to march through the tailgate area while playing “Up With Montana.” Eventually they meet in the stadium’s northwest tunnel for the regular pregame ceremonies fans are used to seeing, like playing the state song and forming the angled pathway the team runs through right before the game. Once the game starts, it’s on the drum majors to simultaneously pay attention to the game and direct the band, whether it’s making sure they’re doing the correct horn motions or switching up songs on the fly. On top of all that, fans can cause issues for Cottom. “Last game we had some rowdy fans that were trying to dance with the trombone players and take their trombones,” she said. “We had to go talk to them. That was lovely.” During the game, UM Director of Athletic Bands Kevin Griggs watches from the sidelines with an earpiece to communicate messages from the press box to the band in case anything out of the ordinary arises. Griggs, who is in his 13th year overseeing the marching band, commended the drum majors and the band as a whole. “Each year we make progress. It gets a little better every year. This is definitely one of the better
Photo by Rebekah Welch / @bekah2493 Kristen Cottom conducts the marching band practicing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" at the intramural fields on campus, on Nov. 9.
bands we’ve had,” he said. It’s a good thing, because they have to learn extra procedures for the Bobcat game. The morning rehearsal and halftime will be different since Montana State’s band, the “Spirit of the West,” will be in town. Each band will perform its own halftime show, which for the Grizzly band is their Beatles-themed show, last seen when Montana hosted Idaho State. Then, before the end of halftime, the bands will combine for a special Fall Out Boy performance, which they will rehearse together in the morning.
Luckily, the atmosphere between the two schools’ bands isn’t nearly as contentious as it is for the fans and players. They have friendly interactions before the game. “Last time Cat-Griz was here, we met on the amphitheater and played tunes back and forth,” Cottom said. “I know some sections bake each other cookies and exchange them.” For Peterson, those extra routines are all just part of the process. “We’re all there because we love it and it’s a ton of fun. But you’ve got to have a pretty good endurance level because it’s pretty intense work.” •
Views from the 406: What went wrong? I had a story written that was supposed to go in this place. It was about how Chad Chalich had exceeded expectations as a backup. About the receivers coming into their own. About how, if the defense came together, they could be dominant. About Brady Gustafson getting redemption after last year’s playoff flub. If the Griz beat Northern Colorado, all they needed was a win against the struggling Bobcats to make the playoffs. If they got there, maybe all of the pieces would come together and the Griz could make a deep run toward the title. But in Greeley, Colorado, the roof collapsed for the Montana Grizzly football team. The Bears upset the Grizzlies 28-25, earning their first win against Montana since 1976. The loss shocked and surprised Griz fans. Northern Colorado, at 6-4, is having one of their better years since joining the Big Sky Conference in 2006, but the Bears should still be an easy win for a Montana team with a much more talented roster.
There isn’t much hope for a playoff spot now. The Grizzlies have lost four conference games and their biggest win of the season, against then - No .3 Northern Iowa, holds little weight after the Panthers have struggled their way to a 5-5 record. So where did it all go wrong? For Montana fans that haven’t watched the team play any road games, the 6-4 record will seem preposterous. At home, Montana has looked indestructible, putting together a perfect record in five games. The offense operates better than head coach Bob Stitt could even imagine, scoring 60-plus points in three of the games, and breaking the 40-point mark in the others. The closest game they have had is a 10-point win in the season opener against Saint Francis, who scored a late touchdown to reach that margin. They played two home games without Jerry Louie-McGee, their leading receiver, and still scored at least 67 points in both of them. They played without Gustafson, a potential NFL draft pick, and still scored 62 points in a game that
saw Chalich, the backup quarterback, break the school record with seven touchdown passes. After Chalich’s record-breaking performance, receiver Keenan Curran, who matched a school record with four touchdown catches in that game, said the following “It doesn’t faze us if a new quarterback is in because our system works,” Curran said. “It doesn’t really matter who is back there.” The player doesn’t matter, it just matters where they are playing. On the road, Montana is just 1-4, with the lone win coming in Cedar Falls, Iowa, against Northern Iowa. In conference play they finish defeated, losing all four Big Sky road games for the first time since 1984. Opponents haven’t necessarily outplayed the Griz. In fact, Montana has outgained their opponent in all four of the losses, and done it by a combined 434 yards. The Grizzlies have just missed nearly every major opportunity presented to them. Whether it is receivers dropping balls or missed throws from quarterbacks, blown assignments in
the secondary or missed tackles up front. If Montana’s kickers don’t miss a 23-yard chip shot and an extra point in the Northern Colorado game, they win. When the big moment comes, Montana has just been unable to answer on the road. And the blame can’t all go to Stitt, like many fans on social media suggested. It can’t all be placed upon the players either, which Stitt hinted at in his postgame press conference after the Northern Colorado loss. This is a team that has missed chances in both the play calling and on the field. It is difficult to get excited for the Montana State game when neither team will be playing in the playoffs next week. But hey, at least the Griz will be able to spend Thanksgiving at home. Jackson Wagner is the sports editor at the Montana Kaimin. Follow him @jacksonwagner and email him at jackson.wagner@umontana.edu
montanakaimin.com
November 16-22, 2016
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help us beat the bobcats on & off the field in 2016!
bring your nonperishable food or cash donations to the brawl of the wild game! student athletes will be collecting around the stadium!
november 19
www.canthebobcats.com A8
November 16-22, 2016
montanakaimin.com
grizzly goal:
200,00o pounds of food