Dave Alt (2001) - Hall of Fame - Montana State University Athletics

Dave Alt

Induction:
2001
Class:
1956

Dave Alt Football 1956-60 Years at MSU: 1956-60 Honors Earned: All-Rocky Mountain QB, 1956 Hometown: Toledo, Ohio “Dave was really a leader by action. He didn’t have a lot to say, but he was admired by his teammates for his toughness and his ability to move the football.” –Bobcat Hall-Of-Famer Sonny Holland, a teammate of Dave Alt’s To step back more that 40 years in time, into the heart of the cold war and the heart of a Bobcat locker room peopled by both fuzzy-cheeked 18-year olds and hardened military veterans, would be to see what Dave Alt saw in the fall of 1956. A freshman from Toledo, Alt took over as Montana State’s quarterback early in the season and led the ‘Cats to a stunning run to the school’s most successful season ever. “It was an interesting mix of players,” recalls Sonny Holland, like Alt a freshman start on the team. “(The coaching staff) brought in a whole lot of people, and it was really different than it is now.” Holland, who played center, remembers Alt as a scrappy competitor with the ability to lead men who came from literally all walks of life. “Physically he was a really tough kid who ran the team well. The players really took to his leadership.” Tom Parac, a former Bobcat who was the Bobcat’s backfield coach in Alt’s last three seasons, recalls that Alt’s skills perfectly suited him for his role. “He had excellent quickness and was very skilled running the option. He threw the ball very well, too.” Alt was a standout baseball player for the Bobcats, earning all-conference honors, and was also an outstanding boxer.