Former Griz Players Making A Name For Montana
First of all, I’ve been lucky enough to cover sports in the Treasure State.
Many people out there may not even know where Montana is located on a map, but who cares, they’re missing out!
I’ve covered sports in several different states, and this is a rare place.
Everyone here has an enormous amount of love and pride for their teams.
There is one thing that has really impressed me and that’s the amount of success that former Griz players are having at the next level.
The National Football League is full of amazing athletes, but most of these guys played for teams in the FBS.
However, in the last couple of years, more and more FCS players are showing they too can play with the best.
Montana is a prime example of a college program that has groomed players to be able to compete in the NFL, whether it be a kicker like Dan Carpenter or a Return Specialist like Marc Mariani, these players are making a name for Montana.
So far this year, the Miami Dolphins’ Carpenter has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week two times.
The Helena native has put up over 80 points this season.
Carpenter is perfect with extra points and well on his way to making this year’s Pro Bowl.
Atlanta’s Kroy Biermann is also having a breakout year.
The Hardin native is the Falcons starting defensive end, and he’s already recorded 24 tackles, 19 for solo adding on a touchdown.
Colt Anderson finally got a chance to show his skills out on the gridiron.
The Butte Native left Minnesota’s practice squad after two years, and in his first game with Philadelphia, Anderson had four special team tackles.
And what about Tennessee’s Marc Mariani?
The former Montana walk-on has impressed everyone who knows anything about football.
The Havre Native is the most dedicated, hard-working rookie in the NFL and it’s paid off.
Mariani already has two touchdowns under his belt, and he’s currently the second leading punt returner with 290 yards, right behind Chicago’s Devin Hester who has 361 yards.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw two or three of these guys on this year’s Pro Bowl Roster, keep up the good work, you’re all making Montana proud!
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