Montana State's 2018 Senior Class (sans Johnny D'Agostino)
Photo by: Garrett Becker
BOBCAT GAME DAY NOTEBOOK #10: Cat Fans Say Thanks to a Special Group of Seniors Today
11/10/2018 12:08:00 PM | Football
From Van Winkle to Bobcat Stadium, Grant Collins and Johnny D played for their hometowns the whole time
You only get one Senior Day. And that day has arrived for a special group of Bobcats.
Those 10 players honored today – Curtis Amos, Wilson Brott, Grant Collins, Johnny D'Agostino, Tyrone Fa'anono, Colin Hammock, Alex Neale, Connor Sullivan, Zach Wright and Tucker Yates – were (all but Neale and Hammock) in the program for Montana State's most recent winning season in 2014. And they take the field today with a chance to get the Cats back into the winning ledger with a sixth win.
When Montana State coach Jeff Choate is reminded of this group of seniors, one word pops to mind. "Toughness," he says convincingly. "Anyone who makes it through four or five years of college football deserve respect. They've endured what few people see - early mornings lifts, late-night studying, hours and hours of watching video on their own, team meetings, practice - and they've done it while working toward their degree. These guys survived a coaching change, which is never easy. They've shown tremendous mental and physical toughness. I'm proud of them."
* * * * *
Today will be the final regular season game for reserve offensive lineman Colin Hammock. Officially a junior, the Missoula Sentinel product will miss next week's game to interview as a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist in Seattle. Hammock will wrap up his undergraduate academic career as a highly-decorated student-athlete.
But Choate believes Hammock's football experience at Montana State was also important. "You can sit in a lab and work on curing cancer," Choate said, "but we can all get more done when we work together with others. Sometimes, brilliant people have a tough time relating to people around them, being part of a team, accomplishing more as a group than any individual can. I think Colin has learned that as a football player here. Montana State is an excellent school, and if you graduate from here you can accomplish many great things. But making it as a college football player for four years, subjugating yourself for the greater good of the group, that is something special. Colin did that, and he'll be better for it."
* * * * *
In 2013, Grant Collins and Johnny D'Agostino ran onto the field at Van Winkle Stadium on a cold, snowy Friday night and led the Bozeman Hawks to the state football championship. The middle of three state titles for Bozeman in a six-season span, it was a seen no one present will forget. The Hawks beat a Kalispell Glacier team which included a handful of future Montana State teammates. A few blocks south, those two take the Bobcat Stadium field today for the final scheduled time. They'll be remembered as hometown guys who could have explored different options, followed paths to different places, but instead chose the Cats. They've had tremendous careers in their own ways, and each have fought through incredible obstacles presented them in the form of injuries. D'Agostino follows in the footsteps of his father Mark, a Bobcat great himself, and Collins will receive his degree from the school where his grandfather Don Collins taught for many years. All Bobcat seniors are special, but on this Senior Day, these two deserve a special hat-tip.
* * * * *
For many years, Cal Poly's calling card has been its confounding option attack on offense which often boosts the Mustangs to the top of the FCS rushing rankings. Quarterback Khaleel Jenkins, a proficient engineer of the team's offense, contributed in a different way last week. In Cal Poly's 38-28 win at Northern Arizona, Jenkins threw his first two touchdown passes of the season. In 53 passes, he still hasn't thrown an interception this season.
* * * * *
Choate indicated that receiver Koby Duru could play an elevated role in today's game at receiver. At linebacker, Jacob Hadley rejoins the depth chart at Sam linebacker after time missed with an injury. Chad Kanow's season is finished.
Those 10 players honored today – Curtis Amos, Wilson Brott, Grant Collins, Johnny D'Agostino, Tyrone Fa'anono, Colin Hammock, Alex Neale, Connor Sullivan, Zach Wright and Tucker Yates – were (all but Neale and Hammock) in the program for Montana State's most recent winning season in 2014. And they take the field today with a chance to get the Cats back into the winning ledger with a sixth win.
When Montana State coach Jeff Choate is reminded of this group of seniors, one word pops to mind. "Toughness," he says convincingly. "Anyone who makes it through four or five years of college football deserve respect. They've endured what few people see - early mornings lifts, late-night studying, hours and hours of watching video on their own, team meetings, practice - and they've done it while working toward their degree. These guys survived a coaching change, which is never easy. They've shown tremendous mental and physical toughness. I'm proud of them."
* * * * *
Today will be the final regular season game for reserve offensive lineman Colin Hammock. Officially a junior, the Missoula Sentinel product will miss next week's game to interview as a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist in Seattle. Hammock will wrap up his undergraduate academic career as a highly-decorated student-athlete.
But Choate believes Hammock's football experience at Montana State was also important. "You can sit in a lab and work on curing cancer," Choate said, "but we can all get more done when we work together with others. Sometimes, brilliant people have a tough time relating to people around them, being part of a team, accomplishing more as a group than any individual can. I think Colin has learned that as a football player here. Montana State is an excellent school, and if you graduate from here you can accomplish many great things. But making it as a college football player for four years, subjugating yourself for the greater good of the group, that is something special. Colin did that, and he'll be better for it."
* * * * *
In 2013, Grant Collins and Johnny D'Agostino ran onto the field at Van Winkle Stadium on a cold, snowy Friday night and led the Bozeman Hawks to the state football championship. The middle of three state titles for Bozeman in a six-season span, it was a seen no one present will forget. The Hawks beat a Kalispell Glacier team which included a handful of future Montana State teammates. A few blocks south, those two take the Bobcat Stadium field today for the final scheduled time. They'll be remembered as hometown guys who could have explored different options, followed paths to different places, but instead chose the Cats. They've had tremendous careers in their own ways, and each have fought through incredible obstacles presented them in the form of injuries. D'Agostino follows in the footsteps of his father Mark, a Bobcat great himself, and Collins will receive his degree from the school where his grandfather Don Collins taught for many years. All Bobcat seniors are special, but on this Senior Day, these two deserve a special hat-tip.
* * * * *
For many years, Cal Poly's calling card has been its confounding option attack on offense which often boosts the Mustangs to the top of the FCS rushing rankings. Quarterback Khaleel Jenkins, a proficient engineer of the team's offense, contributed in a different way last week. In Cal Poly's 38-28 win at Northern Arizona, Jenkins threw his first two touchdown passes of the season. In 53 passes, he still hasn't thrown an interception this season.
* * * * *
Choate indicated that receiver Koby Duru could play an elevated role in today's game at receiver. At linebacker, Jacob Hadley rejoins the depth chart at Sam linebacker after time missed with an injury. Chad Kanow's season is finished.
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