Bobcats By the Numbers: #84
6/11/2015 1:10:00 PM | Football
Generations of Bobcat fans became used to seeing the back of jersey 84
Every day we look at players who donned the jersey number corresponding to the number of days until the Bobcats open the 2015 season on September 3 against Fort Lewis College. The list of MSU football players by the jersey number is based on preseason rosters. The set of available rosters is complete from 1946-81 and '83-present. Only the 1926-27, 1934, 1937 and 1941 rosters are available in the pre-WWII years. Corrections, additions, or rosters that fill out the set will be welcomed enthusiastically via e-mail at: blamberty@msubobcats.com. Complaints about featured players also welcome, but possibly with less enthusiasm.
#84
Vacant: Number 84 is not assigned entering the 2015 season.
Spotlight Players: The number 84 produces great receivers at most schools, and Montana State is no exception. Some of the school's all-time greats have worn #84, including two of BBTN's favorites – Rob Tesch and Tony Vallez. Vallez was spectacular as a senior in 1997, earning All-Big Sky honors in an offense whose stated goal, according to the head coach, was to never throw the football. He was featured a year ago. A few years before Vallez came along, though, Rob Tesch flashed a dazzling array of skills. His 1,920 career receiving yards stood as the program record from the end of his career until 1999, and he remains third in school history. He also remains one of the leading return men in school history. The Choteau product lives in the Treasure State, and is a Big Sky Conference basketball official.
Spotlight Moment: Corey Smith was a quiet kid, publicly at least. And in football terms it took him a while to get going. But when he did… wow. The Montana Grizzlies found that out the hard way in 2003, when the opening kickoff intended to be a squibber in any direction other than Smith's bounced right to him. Ninety yards later, Smith crossed the goal line to rock the state in a way it's never been rocked. And he remains the only man to return a Cat-Griz opening kickoff for a touchdown. That Bobcat-Grizzly game capped one of the most spectacular seasons a college return man has ever enjoyed. The Unanimous First Team All-America was national special teams player of the week twice, and became the first man in Big Sky history to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game, and a punt and a punt and kickoff for touchdowns in the same game. He was MSU's second-leading receiver as a senior on that 2003 Big Sky Championship team, but he will always be remembered for changing game after game that fall when opposing teams dared kick him the ball.
Through the years: Del Layman (1956), Norman Phillips (1957), Ed Popik (1959), John Hahn (1960), Jim Ratcheye (1961-63), Gary Richards (1964-66), Bob Workman (1967, '69), Ray Schneider (1968), Phil O'Meara (1971), Randy Fought (1972-73), Mark Allison (1974), Bob Lubig (1975), Mark Mading (1976), Greg Adolph (1977), Eric Harlington (1979), Bruce McKean (1980), Kent Schaefer (1982), Shawn Bohannan (1984-85), Andy Holmlund (1986), Rob Tesch (1988-92), Erik Iverson (1993), Chad Farrington (1994-95), Matt Neumann (1996), Tony Vallez (1997), Cody Van Horne (1998), Phil Espinoza (1999), Corey Smith (2000-03), Brandon Bostick (2004-08), Brian Flotkoetter (2010-14)
#84
Vacant: Number 84 is not assigned entering the 2015 season.
Spotlight Players: The number 84 produces great receivers at most schools, and Montana State is no exception. Some of the school's all-time greats have worn #84, including two of BBTN's favorites – Rob Tesch and Tony Vallez. Vallez was spectacular as a senior in 1997, earning All-Big Sky honors in an offense whose stated goal, according to the head coach, was to never throw the football. He was featured a year ago. A few years before Vallez came along, though, Rob Tesch flashed a dazzling array of skills. His 1,920 career receiving yards stood as the program record from the end of his career until 1999, and he remains third in school history. He also remains one of the leading return men in school history. The Choteau product lives in the Treasure State, and is a Big Sky Conference basketball official.
Spotlight Moment: Corey Smith was a quiet kid, publicly at least. And in football terms it took him a while to get going. But when he did… wow. The Montana Grizzlies found that out the hard way in 2003, when the opening kickoff intended to be a squibber in any direction other than Smith's bounced right to him. Ninety yards later, Smith crossed the goal line to rock the state in a way it's never been rocked. And he remains the only man to return a Cat-Griz opening kickoff for a touchdown. That Bobcat-Grizzly game capped one of the most spectacular seasons a college return man has ever enjoyed. The Unanimous First Team All-America was national special teams player of the week twice, and became the first man in Big Sky history to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game, and a punt and a punt and kickoff for touchdowns in the same game. He was MSU's second-leading receiver as a senior on that 2003 Big Sky Championship team, but he will always be remembered for changing game after game that fall when opposing teams dared kick him the ball.
Through the years: Del Layman (1956), Norman Phillips (1957), Ed Popik (1959), John Hahn (1960), Jim Ratcheye (1961-63), Gary Richards (1964-66), Bob Workman (1967, '69), Ray Schneider (1968), Phil O'Meara (1971), Randy Fought (1972-73), Mark Allison (1974), Bob Lubig (1975), Mark Mading (1976), Greg Adolph (1977), Eric Harlington (1979), Bruce McKean (1980), Kent Schaefer (1982), Shawn Bohannan (1984-85), Andy Holmlund (1986), Rob Tesch (1988-92), Erik Iverson (1993), Chad Farrington (1994-95), Matt Neumann (1996), Tony Vallez (1997), Cody Van Horne (1998), Phil Espinoza (1999), Corey Smith (2000-03), Brandon Bostick (2004-08), Brian Flotkoetter (2010-14)
Players Mentioned
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