BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: One Day Left! And There's a Lot of Good Stuff Going on in Jersey #1
8/29/2018 9:00:00 AM | Football
Elvis Akpla did some things that have rarely been seen around here
August 29: 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 tomorrow!
#1
Greg Filer III, CB: It takes approximately one fist bump from the kid they call Munchie before being immediately drawn to him. An all-region pick at Compton College last year, his brother John Ross III played at the University of Washington and is now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Filer is seen as a player that can immediately infuse the Bobcat secondary with athleticism and coverage ability, and MSU coach Jeff Choate calls him "a great fit for this program's culture."
Spotlight – Elvis Akpla: One of the cool things about college athletics is watching people grow and change and evolve during their time, and Elvis Akpla was one of the truly interesting and inspiring characters to pass through the Montana State football program. A national-caliber track athlete in high school, Akpla was born in Senegal and moved to the U.S. with his mother and brother when he was eight years old. He opted to attend football at Oregon, redshirted in 2007, and after seeing no game action the next season he followed former teammate Cody Kempt to MSU. Initially he seemed to dip his toes into the Blue and Gold, not abandoning his affection for his home city of Portland or his previous school, and seeming at times like a 'track guy.' By the time he made one of the most gravity-defying catches anyone has ever seen in his final game, Elvis Akpla was all football and all Bobcat. He was an amazing receiver, a tough and smart player, an incredible student, and a well-rounded, thoughtful person. Akpla earned Third Team All-America honors, and his 2,207 career yards was the most in school history to that point. His 1,145 yards in 2011 was the second-best season ever posted by a Bobcat receiver. Akpla was an amazing player, and watching him practice and play every day, listening to him talk about the human body (he was a cell biology and neuroscience major who seemed to constantly process information that his experience as an athlete presented him), and seeing his smile as he interacted with everyone around, was a tremendous experience. Now, about that catch… it came in the FCS Playoff loss at Sam Houston State that ended MSU's 2011 season and Akpla's college career. Seven years ago, the concept of something going viral was, well, going viral, and that catch did. It was all over Twitter, was featured on ESPN's Play of the Day, and was really one of the amazing plays anyone who saw it could recall. And it was the perfect way for Elvis Akpla to cap his singular Bobcat career.
Chronology: Elwin Richards (1927), Harold Sadler (1930), Ed Shubat (1931), Jim Taylor (1934), Lyle Hensleigh (1937), Mark Carter (1982-84), Derrick Abel (1985-86), Tony Moore (1987-88), Reggie Carthon (1989), Antonio Anderson (1990), Chris Hunt (1991), Maurice Baldwin (1992), Ray Braggs (1993), Kenyatte Morgan (1994-97), Cody Schrader (1998-00), Justin Mobley (2001-02), Robert Maddox (2003), Rick Gatewood (2004-05), Donell Wheaton (2006), Demetrius Crawford (2007-08), Derek Green (2009), Elvis Akpla (2010-11), Steven Bethley (2012-13), Garrett Marino (2014), Demonte King (2015), Tre'von Strong (2016), Greg Filer II (2018-)
Other #1 Notes: Good things have come in small packages for the Cats, and nowhere is that more evident than at jersey number 1. Kenyatte Morgan (5-7, 162) was an electrifying receiver as Montana State's offense was getting its feet firmly planted under brilliant offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. There's a fantastic photo of Morgan streaking down the far sideline in Reno H. Sales Stadium as a senior in 1997, ball tucked away, with head coach Cliff Hysell seemingly attempting to escort him. Rarely did anyone have the get-along to stay with Morgan, who returned three punts and a kickoff for touchdowns in his career. He finished his career seventh in Bobcat history in receiving yards and remains in MSU's career top 10 lists in punt and kick return average. Fasts forward a decade and Demetrius Crawford (5-9, 185) was about to become one of the school's most productive running backs. Rob Ash's first Bobcat recruit, Crawford arrived in the summer of 2007 and rushed for 868 yards that season, scoring five times on the ground and twice through the air. He netted three 100-yard rushing games, and the next season, 2008, Crawford crashed opposing defenses for 1,314 yards, the fifth-best rushing season in Bobcat history. As a two-year player, his 2,182 career rushing yards was seventh in school history, and he returned a kickoff 100 yards against Minnesota.
#1
Greg Filer III, CB: It takes approximately one fist bump from the kid they call Munchie before being immediately drawn to him. An all-region pick at Compton College last year, his brother John Ross III played at the University of Washington and is now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Filer is seen as a player that can immediately infuse the Bobcat secondary with athleticism and coverage ability, and MSU coach Jeff Choate calls him "a great fit for this program's culture."
Spotlight – Elvis Akpla: One of the cool things about college athletics is watching people grow and change and evolve during their time, and Elvis Akpla was one of the truly interesting and inspiring characters to pass through the Montana State football program. A national-caliber track athlete in high school, Akpla was born in Senegal and moved to the U.S. with his mother and brother when he was eight years old. He opted to attend football at Oregon, redshirted in 2007, and after seeing no game action the next season he followed former teammate Cody Kempt to MSU. Initially he seemed to dip his toes into the Blue and Gold, not abandoning his affection for his home city of Portland or his previous school, and seeming at times like a 'track guy.' By the time he made one of the most gravity-defying catches anyone has ever seen in his final game, Elvis Akpla was all football and all Bobcat. He was an amazing receiver, a tough and smart player, an incredible student, and a well-rounded, thoughtful person. Akpla earned Third Team All-America honors, and his 2,207 career yards was the most in school history to that point. His 1,145 yards in 2011 was the second-best season ever posted by a Bobcat receiver. Akpla was an amazing player, and watching him practice and play every day, listening to him talk about the human body (he was a cell biology and neuroscience major who seemed to constantly process information that his experience as an athlete presented him), and seeing his smile as he interacted with everyone around, was a tremendous experience. Now, about that catch… it came in the FCS Playoff loss at Sam Houston State that ended MSU's 2011 season and Akpla's college career. Seven years ago, the concept of something going viral was, well, going viral, and that catch did. It was all over Twitter, was featured on ESPN's Play of the Day, and was really one of the amazing plays anyone who saw it could recall. And it was the perfect way for Elvis Akpla to cap his singular Bobcat career.
Chronology: Elwin Richards (1927), Harold Sadler (1930), Ed Shubat (1931), Jim Taylor (1934), Lyle Hensleigh (1937), Mark Carter (1982-84), Derrick Abel (1985-86), Tony Moore (1987-88), Reggie Carthon (1989), Antonio Anderson (1990), Chris Hunt (1991), Maurice Baldwin (1992), Ray Braggs (1993), Kenyatte Morgan (1994-97), Cody Schrader (1998-00), Justin Mobley (2001-02), Robert Maddox (2003), Rick Gatewood (2004-05), Donell Wheaton (2006), Demetrius Crawford (2007-08), Derek Green (2009), Elvis Akpla (2010-11), Steven Bethley (2012-13), Garrett Marino (2014), Demonte King (2015), Tre'von Strong (2016), Greg Filer II (2018-)
Other #1 Notes: Good things have come in small packages for the Cats, and nowhere is that more evident than at jersey number 1. Kenyatte Morgan (5-7, 162) was an electrifying receiver as Montana State's offense was getting its feet firmly planted under brilliant offensive coordinator Jim McElwain. There's a fantastic photo of Morgan streaking down the far sideline in Reno H. Sales Stadium as a senior in 1997, ball tucked away, with head coach Cliff Hysell seemingly attempting to escort him. Rarely did anyone have the get-along to stay with Morgan, who returned three punts and a kickoff for touchdowns in his career. He finished his career seventh in Bobcat history in receiving yards and remains in MSU's career top 10 lists in punt and kick return average. Fasts forward a decade and Demetrius Crawford (5-9, 185) was about to become one of the school's most productive running backs. Rob Ash's first Bobcat recruit, Crawford arrived in the summer of 2007 and rushed for 868 yards that season, scoring five times on the ground and twice through the air. He netted three 100-yard rushing games, and the next season, 2008, Crawford crashed opposing defenses for 1,314 yards, the fifth-best rushing season in Bobcat history. As a two-year player, his 2,182 career rushing yards was seventh in school history, and he returned a kickoff 100 yards against Minnesota.
Players Mentioned
CB
/ FootballLeon Costello Press Conference: Kennedy-Stark Athletic Center
Thursday, July 31
A Conversation with President Dr. Waded Cruzado | Montana State Athletics
Monday, May 19
Big Cats, Little Trucks - Willie Patterson
Wednesday, May 03
Matt Houk Introductory Press Conference
Wednesday, May 03
