Caleb Schreibeis and a young Grizzly fan after Cat-Griz
McGhee and Mates Reach Out Before, After Cat-Griz Game
11/21/2012 5:08:00 PM | Football
A group of Bobcats took the time to make some new friends last weekend
The Montana State football team plenty of good things on the football field last Saturday, beating Montana 16-7. But several Bobcats did much more good in Missoula off the field.
“We emphasize sportsmanship and reaching out to people,” Bobcat coach Rob Ash said Monday, “and when we talk about those things we've never mentioned to make sure they're a fan of any specific team. I'm proud of our guys for being the kind of people they are.”
After Saturday's game, DeNarius McGhee and Caleb Schreibeis had photos taken with a young Grizzly fan who, according to Bozeman's John Thorn, was “trying to get a peek at” McGhee through a throng of fans. “DeNarius told all the Cat fans to hang on for a second and walked through the crowd to this young boy and talked to him for a few minutes and took a few pictures for the parents,” Thorn relayed.
McGhee recalled the moment after Tuesday's practice. “After the game the kid came up to me, and he really wanted an autograph and to take a picture,” McGhee said with a laugh. “Of course I'm going to volunteer. We're all human at the end of the day. It's a huge rivalry, but when there's a kid you always have a soft spot in your heart for him.”
Montana State's junior quarterback, who earned Big Sky Offensive MVP honors for the second time in his career on Tuesday, said that the conversation was light-hearted. “Just kind of joking around with the kid, like I usually do with all of them,” McGhee said. “He got a laugh out of whatever I said. I don't remember exactly what I said, but he got a laugh out of it, and we just had a good moment there.”
There was an even better moment the night before the game, when former Bobcat Tom Mahlum – the uncle of MSU star running back Cody Kirk – brought a teen-aged leukemia patient to the Bobcat team hotel to meet a couple of MSU players. McGhee and teammates Kirk and Tray Robinson spent some quiet time in the team hotel with him.
“What you have to understand is that we … all have soft spots for people like that because we're fortunate enough to play this great sport of football and to be able to have impact on those guys,” said McGhee, who like Kirk, Robinson, and most of their teammates is extremely active on campus and around Bozeman. “Whenever I get the chance to go out in the community and do something for kids or volunteer, I take every last one.”
McGhee said the time spent Friday night was extraordinary. “We all sat down and had a great conversation (about) what he did and how he has persevered. That gave me a lot of motivation myself, because we're not going through anything (in a football game) like what he's going through.”
McGhee and the Bobcats play an FCS Playoff game in Bobcat Stadium on December 1.
“We emphasize sportsmanship and reaching out to people,” Bobcat coach Rob Ash said Monday, “and when we talk about those things we've never mentioned to make sure they're a fan of any specific team. I'm proud of our guys for being the kind of people they are.”
After Saturday's game, DeNarius McGhee and Caleb Schreibeis had photos taken with a young Grizzly fan who, according to Bozeman's John Thorn, was “trying to get a peek at” McGhee through a throng of fans. “DeNarius told all the Cat fans to hang on for a second and walked through the crowd to this young boy and talked to him for a few minutes and took a few pictures for the parents,” Thorn relayed.
McGhee recalled the moment after Tuesday's practice. “After the game the kid came up to me, and he really wanted an autograph and to take a picture,” McGhee said with a laugh. “Of course I'm going to volunteer. We're all human at the end of the day. It's a huge rivalry, but when there's a kid you always have a soft spot in your heart for him.”
Montana State's junior quarterback, who earned Big Sky Offensive MVP honors for the second time in his career on Tuesday, said that the conversation was light-hearted. “Just kind of joking around with the kid, like I usually do with all of them,” McGhee said. “He got a laugh out of whatever I said. I don't remember exactly what I said, but he got a laugh out of it, and we just had a good moment there.”
There was an even better moment the night before the game, when former Bobcat Tom Mahlum – the uncle of MSU star running back Cody Kirk – brought a teen-aged leukemia patient to the Bobcat team hotel to meet a couple of MSU players. McGhee and teammates Kirk and Tray Robinson spent some quiet time in the team hotel with him.
“What you have to understand is that we … all have soft spots for people like that because we're fortunate enough to play this great sport of football and to be able to have impact on those guys,” said McGhee, who like Kirk, Robinson, and most of their teammates is extremely active on campus and around Bozeman. “Whenever I get the chance to go out in the community and do something for kids or volunteer, I take every last one.”
McGhee said the time spent Friday night was extraordinary. “We all sat down and had a great conversation (about) what he did and how he has persevered. That gave me a lot of motivation myself, because we're not going through anything (in a football game) like what he's going through.”
McGhee and the Bobcats play an FCS Playoff game in Bobcat Stadium on December 1.
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