Bryson McCabe
Photo by: Brian Morse
Bryson McCabe Readies for Former Mates to Arrive Saturday
9/8/2017 7:59:00 AM | Football
Bobcat senior safety began career at SDSU, happy he 'ended up here'
The uniform top will be yellow instead of white, but Bryson McCabe, as it turns out, was destined to be in Bobcat Stadium all along.
"I always wanted to play Division I football, it didn't matter, Missouri Valley or wherever," Montana State's senior safety said Wednesday. That dream began just north of his Iowa hometown in Brookings, South Dakota. But after one semester at South Dakota State – "I was just 18 (years old), I didn't know what I wanted," McCabe recalls of his reasons for leaving SDSU – he transferred to Iowa Western Community College just across the Missouri River from Omaha.
After one season in Council Bluffs, where he logged 59 tackles and picked off two passes, the lifelong Iowa Hawkeyes fan headed west. "I was only there for a semester," McCabe said of his time at SDSU. "If I'd stayed another semester I'd probably still be there. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my schooling, football-wise, I was just 18 and I didn't know what I wanted. I'm so glad I ended up out here."
Saturday's game looms as big on the non-conference schedule of both teams. The reigning Missouri Valley Football Conference champion Jackrabbits enter Saturday's game as the fourth-ranked team in the FCS. The game is South Dakota State's only tune-up against a full-scholarship FCS foe before the gauntlet of MVFC play begins, while Montana State welcomes the highest-ranked non-league foe of the Division I era (since 1978) to Bozeman.
"This is a big game," McCabe says. "Any game the third- or fourth-ranked team in the country is coming into your place, that's special."
The emotions of the game range far beyond the opponents' ranking, though. It is because of the opponents' players. "I still know a lot of guys on the team," McCabe said, players who include All-America receiver Jake Weineke who "lived across the hall in the dorms," and former roommate Nick Farina. "I'm still in touch with those guys. It's a great group of seniors they have there."
Weineke will have everyone's attention Saturday. "He's just very athletic," McCabe said of his long-time friend. "He's all of 6-5, almost 6-6, he can run very well. He doesn't look too fast on film but when you see him in person he flies. You'll be seeing him on Sundays, he's a heck of a player. His demeanor, he's a very smart football player. He's just fun to watch."
Weineke and a couple other former teammates gave McCabe direction in something more long-lasting than football. "I was actually in elementary ed (at SDSU)," when his teammates exposed him to the idea of sharing his love of sports and activity to children. That changed his academic interests. "I took one PE class when I was there and I loved it. I love kids, I interact well with them. Seeing the whole academic (side) of (childhood) obesity, activity level of kids in the country, I want to see if I can have an impact on that when I'm done."
For now, job one for McCabe is to have a positive impact on Saturday's game, and the opportunity to play one more season in Bobcat Stadium. "We were just joking in the locker room the other day, I think our stadium's going to be louder than Washington State's. Our fans are crazy. I think I saw in the first hour the (student) tickets got sold out. Our fan base, no one understands it until someone comes from a different area. We're in the top 10 (in FCS attendance) every year, we get more people than some Mountain West teams. It's so much fun playing in this stadium, the energy, the student section when we get down in the Sonny Holland (zone), it's something I'll always remember."
And he'll also always remember the coach, South Dakota State's John Stiegelmeier, and school that gave him his first chance to play college football.
"I got the opportunity to play college football," McCabe said. "Coach Stieg took a chance on a small town kid, and I appreciate that. I was not the smartest 18-year old, didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, I ended up out here. Nothing against them, no hard feelings toward the program, they've got a very good program. It was a learning experience for me… I ended up three years out here and I love it. I wouldn't change anything about it."
Kickoff Saturday is 6 pm. A limited number of standing room tickets remain for the game, which will be televised around the state.
"I always wanted to play Division I football, it didn't matter, Missouri Valley or wherever," Montana State's senior safety said Wednesday. That dream began just north of his Iowa hometown in Brookings, South Dakota. But after one semester at South Dakota State – "I was just 18 (years old), I didn't know what I wanted," McCabe recalls of his reasons for leaving SDSU – he transferred to Iowa Western Community College just across the Missouri River from Omaha.
After one season in Council Bluffs, where he logged 59 tackles and picked off two passes, the lifelong Iowa Hawkeyes fan headed west. "I was only there for a semester," McCabe said of his time at SDSU. "If I'd stayed another semester I'd probably still be there. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my schooling, football-wise, I was just 18 and I didn't know what I wanted. I'm so glad I ended up out here."
Saturday's game looms as big on the non-conference schedule of both teams. The reigning Missouri Valley Football Conference champion Jackrabbits enter Saturday's game as the fourth-ranked team in the FCS. The game is South Dakota State's only tune-up against a full-scholarship FCS foe before the gauntlet of MVFC play begins, while Montana State welcomes the highest-ranked non-league foe of the Division I era (since 1978) to Bozeman.
"This is a big game," McCabe says. "Any game the third- or fourth-ranked team in the country is coming into your place, that's special."
The emotions of the game range far beyond the opponents' ranking, though. It is because of the opponents' players. "I still know a lot of guys on the team," McCabe said, players who include All-America receiver Jake Weineke who "lived across the hall in the dorms," and former roommate Nick Farina. "I'm still in touch with those guys. It's a great group of seniors they have there."
Weineke will have everyone's attention Saturday. "He's just very athletic," McCabe said of his long-time friend. "He's all of 6-5, almost 6-6, he can run very well. He doesn't look too fast on film but when you see him in person he flies. You'll be seeing him on Sundays, he's a heck of a player. His demeanor, he's a very smart football player. He's just fun to watch."
Weineke and a couple other former teammates gave McCabe direction in something more long-lasting than football. "I was actually in elementary ed (at SDSU)," when his teammates exposed him to the idea of sharing his love of sports and activity to children. That changed his academic interests. "I took one PE class when I was there and I loved it. I love kids, I interact well with them. Seeing the whole academic (side) of (childhood) obesity, activity level of kids in the country, I want to see if I can have an impact on that when I'm done."
For now, job one for McCabe is to have a positive impact on Saturday's game, and the opportunity to play one more season in Bobcat Stadium. "We were just joking in the locker room the other day, I think our stadium's going to be louder than Washington State's. Our fans are crazy. I think I saw in the first hour the (student) tickets got sold out. Our fan base, no one understands it until someone comes from a different area. We're in the top 10 (in FCS attendance) every year, we get more people than some Mountain West teams. It's so much fun playing in this stadium, the energy, the student section when we get down in the Sonny Holland (zone), it's something I'll always remember."
And he'll also always remember the coach, South Dakota State's John Stiegelmeier, and school that gave him his first chance to play college football.
"I got the opportunity to play college football," McCabe said. "Coach Stieg took a chance on a small town kid, and I appreciate that. I was not the smartest 18-year old, didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, I ended up out here. Nothing against them, no hard feelings toward the program, they've got a very good program. It was a learning experience for me… I ended up three years out here and I love it. I wouldn't change anything about it."
Kickoff Saturday is 6 pm. A limited number of standing room tickets remain for the game, which will be televised around the state.
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