BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 18 Days Before the Gold Rush, Brayden Konkol Stands as a Brilliant Bobcat Defender
8/12/2018 12:39:00 PM | Football
Kelly Davis and Rob Compson came to MSU from Treasure State high schools to star for the Cats
August 12: Bobcats by the Numbers takes a look at current and past Bobcats whose jersey numbers correspond to the number of days remaining before Montana State opens the 2018 football season against Western Illinois in Bobcat Stadium's annual Gold Rush game on August 30.
#18
Brayden Konkol, S: Brayden Konkol has played only two seasons for the Bobcats, but he's become a fixture. His position this fall is a somewhat open question entering the fall, but there's a strong chance he'll be back at strong safety, his original position at MSU. Considered one of the program's best pure football players, Konkol registered 20 tackles as a freshman and started twice at the end of the season. Last fall, he piled up 83 tackles and for playing through injuries most of the season received the program's Rob Higgs Toughness Award. He is also a player that Bobcat coach Jeff Choate feels is pound-for-pound one of the best and most versatile football players in the Big Sky Conference.
Spotlight – Mark Fisher: In quiet moments during what proved to be a fine and productive career as a Bobcat football player, Mark Fisher had to occasionally wonder what the heck was going on. He began his career in the most surprising way imaginable, debuting in game 9 of a season during which he appeared to be redshirting, completing 6-of-13 passes in the fourth quarter of a home loss to Boise State, but suffered a season-ending injury that day. He began 1991 as the team's third quarterback, but by the fourth game he was its starter. He threw for 1,700 yards that season, and entered his junior campaign as the starting quarterback. Just before halftime in the season opener at Sacramento State, though, and took his medical hardship season. By the dawn of the 1993 campaign he had switched to fullback and played the remainder of his career at that position. Mark Fisher was a smart, tough kid throughout his tumultuous Bobcat career, and none of the drama he endured was of his own making. He is a long-time high school football coach and counselor in Colorado.
Chronology: Paul McLean (1931), Kendall Pickens (1934), George Bailey (1937), Bob Whalen (1941), Dave Smith (1946), Frank Kinney (1947), Bill Kenney (1948), Dave Smith (1949), Don Sivertson (1950), John Digirolomo (1953-54), Favre Eaton (1955), Julian Albrecht (1957), George Lucas (1958), Harry Lopsonzski (1959-61), Tom Coombs (1962), Marv Tiller (1964-66), Jerry Pitzer (1967-69), Zoonie McLean (1970-72), Mike Holder (1973-75), Don Walsh (1976-78), Britt Freeman (1980), Kelly Davis (1982-86), Scott Neuman (1987), Chris Saenz (1988), Mark Fisher (1990-93), Rob Compson (1994-98), Nate Cook (2000), Cody Samuelson (2002), Gordon Hawley (2003), Eddie Smith (2004-05), Blayde Beckstead (2006), Willie Sullivan (2007), Chris Wilson (2009), Rory Perez (2010-13), Bo Hughes (2013), Casey Schwertfeger (2014), Wyatt Christensen (2014-15), Devon Tandberg (2015), Brayden Konkol (2016-)
Other #18 Notes: A tough and fast receiver out of Butte, Kelly Davis caught five passes as a freshman in 1983 and really took off from there. He finished his career with eight touchdown catches, a Big Sky and National Championship on the football team, and a conference 110 m high hurdle championship on the track. The construction engineering technology major helps run a construction firm in Denver. On the other end of the pass-catch spectrum, Rob Compson moved pretty well in a day and age before there was such a thing as a dual-threat quarterback, but he was never a threat to win a Big Sky hurdles race. The Great Falls High product started at quarterback for the Cats for three seasons, but never possessed an arm that people bragged about. He's not necessarily remembered as an all-time Bobcat great, but remains fourth in school history in passing yards. He was flat-out a winner, presiding over MSU's best three-season stretch (19 wins) between the 1984 National Championship and the run of success that began in 2002. Compson gave Bobcat fans lots of thrills, and no less an connoisseur of brilliant quarterback play than Jim McElwain considers Compson to this day one of his favorite players.
#18
Brayden Konkol, S: Brayden Konkol has played only two seasons for the Bobcats, but he's become a fixture. His position this fall is a somewhat open question entering the fall, but there's a strong chance he'll be back at strong safety, his original position at MSU. Considered one of the program's best pure football players, Konkol registered 20 tackles as a freshman and started twice at the end of the season. Last fall, he piled up 83 tackles and for playing through injuries most of the season received the program's Rob Higgs Toughness Award. He is also a player that Bobcat coach Jeff Choate feels is pound-for-pound one of the best and most versatile football players in the Big Sky Conference.
Spotlight – Mark Fisher: In quiet moments during what proved to be a fine and productive career as a Bobcat football player, Mark Fisher had to occasionally wonder what the heck was going on. He began his career in the most surprising way imaginable, debuting in game 9 of a season during which he appeared to be redshirting, completing 6-of-13 passes in the fourth quarter of a home loss to Boise State, but suffered a season-ending injury that day. He began 1991 as the team's third quarterback, but by the fourth game he was its starter. He threw for 1,700 yards that season, and entered his junior campaign as the starting quarterback. Just before halftime in the season opener at Sacramento State, though, and took his medical hardship season. By the dawn of the 1993 campaign he had switched to fullback and played the remainder of his career at that position. Mark Fisher was a smart, tough kid throughout his tumultuous Bobcat career, and none of the drama he endured was of his own making. He is a long-time high school football coach and counselor in Colorado.
Chronology: Paul McLean (1931), Kendall Pickens (1934), George Bailey (1937), Bob Whalen (1941), Dave Smith (1946), Frank Kinney (1947), Bill Kenney (1948), Dave Smith (1949), Don Sivertson (1950), John Digirolomo (1953-54), Favre Eaton (1955), Julian Albrecht (1957), George Lucas (1958), Harry Lopsonzski (1959-61), Tom Coombs (1962), Marv Tiller (1964-66), Jerry Pitzer (1967-69), Zoonie McLean (1970-72), Mike Holder (1973-75), Don Walsh (1976-78), Britt Freeman (1980), Kelly Davis (1982-86), Scott Neuman (1987), Chris Saenz (1988), Mark Fisher (1990-93), Rob Compson (1994-98), Nate Cook (2000), Cody Samuelson (2002), Gordon Hawley (2003), Eddie Smith (2004-05), Blayde Beckstead (2006), Willie Sullivan (2007), Chris Wilson (2009), Rory Perez (2010-13), Bo Hughes (2013), Casey Schwertfeger (2014), Wyatt Christensen (2014-15), Devon Tandberg (2015), Brayden Konkol (2016-)
Other #18 Notes: A tough and fast receiver out of Butte, Kelly Davis caught five passes as a freshman in 1983 and really took off from there. He finished his career with eight touchdown catches, a Big Sky and National Championship on the football team, and a conference 110 m high hurdle championship on the track. The construction engineering technology major helps run a construction firm in Denver. On the other end of the pass-catch spectrum, Rob Compson moved pretty well in a day and age before there was such a thing as a dual-threat quarterback, but he was never a threat to win a Big Sky hurdles race. The Great Falls High product started at quarterback for the Cats for three seasons, but never possessed an arm that people bragged about. He's not necessarily remembered as an all-time Bobcat great, but remains fourth in school history in passing yards. He was flat-out a winner, presiding over MSU's best three-season stretch (19 wins) between the 1984 National Championship and the run of success that began in 2002. Compson gave Bobcat fans lots of thrills, and no less an connoisseur of brilliant quarterback play than Jim McElwain considers Compson to this day one of his favorite players.
Players Mentioned
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