Mac Bignell
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Mac Bignell Follows Strong Bobcat Bloodlines to MSU
7/14/2017 5:09:00 AM | Football
'Quiet' Bignell makes his noise on the field
Montana State's summer marketing intern sits near the copy machine, head down, earbuds in, listening to music.
Mac Bignell spends fall Saturdays a half-mile south in Bobcat Stadium the same way, working unassumingly, quietly awaiting his chance to make a highlight-reel hit, a game-changing tackle, force a fumble that jolts 18,000-plus into a frenzy. Until it happens, he is quiet.
"I am one of the quieter guys," he says, but the volume has been loud during his first two seasons starting at linebacker for the Bobcats. He led the Big Sky in tackles and tackles-for-loss as a sophomore, and last year played at a similar level. His eight career forced fumbles is tied for the most in MSU history, and is one of the 10 best marks among active players in the FCS.
One factor in Bignell's quiet demeanor is a hearing impairment. He said it may lead to some laughs, but not to issues on the field. "Some of the guys get one me," he says, but we do everything by signals. For the most part it hasn't been an issue."
Something that has been an issue recently, in a positive way, is this summer's spirited and well-attended player-run workouts. "It's been nice because we have everyone here for the first time since I've been (at MSU)," Bignell said. "It's been almost 100% (attendance) at every workout. It's a good feeling because we're getting really close, we're bonding, we have high expectations in the locker room."
Bonding over football is nothing new for the most recent Bignell to find his way to Bozeman. Bobcat bloodlines reach back generations. His father was a Bobcat All-America as a tight end, and cousins Clay and Brian and brother Nate started in the Blue and Gold.
Mac grew up idolizing the older members in his generation of Bignells - "For sure, they were my heroes," he says reverentially - but there was an up-close view that shaped him greatly. "Growing up with those guys, being the runt, getting picked on a lot in the backyard games with my cousins and brothers, never getting to tuoch the ball," he laughs. "It was always keep-away from me. It was a dream of mine to play for the Cats, watching my cousins and brothers do it I knew there was no other path for me. They were good players, and I felt I belonged here. That's what drove me."
Something more immediate is driving Bignell and his teammates as the 2017 campaign draws near. "We've created a connection that we're not going to let the guy next to you down," he said. "We're working at a higher level, everyone pushes each other. Coach Choate always talks about a standard, and we're holding each other to it. We're not afraid to get on each other about it. It's for a great cause."
For now, though, Bignell's cause is to learn some of the tools of the marketing trade which he hopes to pursue after college while picking MSU's 2017 game-day playlist. He knows that may draw more criticism than anything else he does across Kagy Boulevard in the fall. "Even in the locker room or at practice, no matter what's played there are people who don't like it."
Mac Bignell spends fall Saturdays a half-mile south in Bobcat Stadium the same way, working unassumingly, quietly awaiting his chance to make a highlight-reel hit, a game-changing tackle, force a fumble that jolts 18,000-plus into a frenzy. Until it happens, he is quiet.
"I am one of the quieter guys," he says, but the volume has been loud during his first two seasons starting at linebacker for the Bobcats. He led the Big Sky in tackles and tackles-for-loss as a sophomore, and last year played at a similar level. His eight career forced fumbles is tied for the most in MSU history, and is one of the 10 best marks among active players in the FCS.
One factor in Bignell's quiet demeanor is a hearing impairment. He said it may lead to some laughs, but not to issues on the field. "Some of the guys get one me," he says, but we do everything by signals. For the most part it hasn't been an issue."
Something that has been an issue recently, in a positive way, is this summer's spirited and well-attended player-run workouts. "It's been nice because we have everyone here for the first time since I've been (at MSU)," Bignell said. "It's been almost 100% (attendance) at every workout. It's a good feeling because we're getting really close, we're bonding, we have high expectations in the locker room."
Bonding over football is nothing new for the most recent Bignell to find his way to Bozeman. Bobcat bloodlines reach back generations. His father was a Bobcat All-America as a tight end, and cousins Clay and Brian and brother Nate started in the Blue and Gold.
Mac grew up idolizing the older members in his generation of Bignells - "For sure, they were my heroes," he says reverentially - but there was an up-close view that shaped him greatly. "Growing up with those guys, being the runt, getting picked on a lot in the backyard games with my cousins and brothers, never getting to tuoch the ball," he laughs. "It was always keep-away from me. It was a dream of mine to play for the Cats, watching my cousins and brothers do it I knew there was no other path for me. They were good players, and I felt I belonged here. That's what drove me."
Something more immediate is driving Bignell and his teammates as the 2017 campaign draws near. "We've created a connection that we're not going to let the guy next to you down," he said. "We're working at a higher level, everyone pushes each other. Coach Choate always talks about a standard, and we're holding each other to it. We're not afraid to get on each other about it. It's for a great cause."
For now, though, Bignell's cause is to learn some of the tools of the marketing trade which he hopes to pursue after college while picking MSU's 2017 game-day playlist. He knows that may draw more criticism than anything else he does across Kagy Boulevard in the fall. "Even in the locker room or at practice, no matter what's played there are people who don't like it."
Players Mentioned
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