Bobcats By the Numbers: #50
7/15/2015 9:50:00 AM | Football
Ron Warzeka was a big man who played a big role in MSU's first national title
For every day of the summer we will 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.
#50
Nate Bignell, DT: If you're looking for a player comp for Nate Bignell in recent Bobcat history, you don't really have to go outside the family. Brian Bignell, Nate's cousin, came to MSU as a highly-touted, highly-productive prep player. The younger brother of All-Big Sky linebacker Clay Bignell, and cousin of Nate, Brian Bignell struggled to get on the field early in his Bobcat career (injuries standing as the key culprit). But Brian Bignell broke through in spectacular fashion for really tremendous junior and senior seasons, and his cousin Nate has a chance to follow a similar path. He saw limited action in his first three seasons, but as a junior posted a fine season, getting three tackles-for-loss and two sacks. He has a chance to emerge as a key component on a revamped defense.
Spotlight Player: In the mid-1950s, if you were in any way friendly to Montana State football, Ron Warzeka was a really big deal. In every sense. At 6-3, 235, Warzeka'was one of the two largest Bobcats, and head coach Tony Storti called him "one of the real keys" to Montana State's football renaissance. He came to Bozeman from Great Falls in the fall of 1953, when the Bobcats were 7-32 in the previous five seasons. Warzeka's tenure coincided with Storti's emergence as a brilliant football coach, and in the ensuing four seasons rolled up a 25-9-2 and a national championship. It was a remarkable rebirth for Bobcat football, and in fact was the most successful four-year stretch to that point in program history and spurred the only sustained success Montana State had until Mike Kramer and Rob Ash showed up. Warzeka was a three-time all-conference choice, an All-America as a senior, and was drafted by the 49ers. He remained in the Bozeman area, and continues to be widely celebrated as one of the program's all-time great players, and all-time great guys.
Through the Years: Val Glynn (1926), Richard Gould (1948), Frank Dorsey (1949), Bruce Richards (1950), Ron Warzeka (1953-55), Sonny Holland (1956-57), Bob Schmitz (1958), Dan Costello (1959), Dan Costello (1960), Gary Cine (1961), Dave Nostrant (1964-66), Tucker Hughes (1967), Jack McGuiness (1970), Ron Ueland (1971-73), Kelly Darr (1974), Bert Markovich (1975-76), Dave Semmelbeck (1977-80), Larry Shea (1982-83), Jason Hartford (1984-85), Joe Crowell (1986-87), Charles Jackson (1988-92), Jason Leep (1993), Mike Pokorski (1994), Ryan Maastrocchio (1997), Eric Axlund (1999-00), Billy Griffin (2001), Zach Wolf (2002-04), Reyshawn Bobo (2006-07), John Laidet (2008), Leo Davis (2009-11), Craig Ashworth (2011-13), Nate Bignell (2014-)
#50
Nate Bignell, DT: If you're looking for a player comp for Nate Bignell in recent Bobcat history, you don't really have to go outside the family. Brian Bignell, Nate's cousin, came to MSU as a highly-touted, highly-productive prep player. The younger brother of All-Big Sky linebacker Clay Bignell, and cousin of Nate, Brian Bignell struggled to get on the field early in his Bobcat career (injuries standing as the key culprit). But Brian Bignell broke through in spectacular fashion for really tremendous junior and senior seasons, and his cousin Nate has a chance to follow a similar path. He saw limited action in his first three seasons, but as a junior posted a fine season, getting three tackles-for-loss and two sacks. He has a chance to emerge as a key component on a revamped defense.
Spotlight Player: In the mid-1950s, if you were in any way friendly to Montana State football, Ron Warzeka was a really big deal. In every sense. At 6-3, 235, Warzeka'was one of the two largest Bobcats, and head coach Tony Storti called him "one of the real keys" to Montana State's football renaissance. He came to Bozeman from Great Falls in the fall of 1953, when the Bobcats were 7-32 in the previous five seasons. Warzeka's tenure coincided with Storti's emergence as a brilliant football coach, and in the ensuing four seasons rolled up a 25-9-2 and a national championship. It was a remarkable rebirth for Bobcat football, and in fact was the most successful four-year stretch to that point in program history and spurred the only sustained success Montana State had until Mike Kramer and Rob Ash showed up. Warzeka was a three-time all-conference choice, an All-America as a senior, and was drafted by the 49ers. He remained in the Bozeman area, and continues to be widely celebrated as one of the program's all-time great players, and all-time great guys.
Through the Years: Val Glynn (1926), Richard Gould (1948), Frank Dorsey (1949), Bruce Richards (1950), Ron Warzeka (1953-55), Sonny Holland (1956-57), Bob Schmitz (1958), Dan Costello (1959), Dan Costello (1960), Gary Cine (1961), Dave Nostrant (1964-66), Tucker Hughes (1967), Jack McGuiness (1970), Ron Ueland (1971-73), Kelly Darr (1974), Bert Markovich (1975-76), Dave Semmelbeck (1977-80), Larry Shea (1982-83), Jason Hartford (1984-85), Joe Crowell (1986-87), Charles Jackson (1988-92), Jason Leep (1993), Mike Pokorski (1994), Ryan Maastrocchio (1997), Eric Axlund (1999-00), Billy Griffin (2001), Zach Wolf (2002-04), Reyshawn Bobo (2006-07), John Laidet (2008), Leo Davis (2009-11), Craig Ashworth (2011-13), Nate Bignell (2014-)
Players Mentioned
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