BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 26 Days til Kickoff!
8/5/2019 8:00:00 AM | Football
Travis Jonsen impacted MSU's offense in a lot of ways last season
August 5: In addition to a quick look at players wearing the jersey number corresponding to the number of days remaining until Montana State's season opener at Texas Tech on August 31, Bobcats by the Numbers brings you another tidbit or two aligning with that number.
#26
Rylan Ortt, S: Rylan Ortt had plenty of opportunities to compete at the highest level of college athletics, but there was a catch. His most prolific sport was track and field, specifically the javelin. His preferred sport was football. So after intensive training, the safety from Missoula Sentinel joins the Bobcats this season. He won the javelin in nine straight meets to close his senior season, and also competed in the 100 m, long jump and 4 x 400 m relay. He was named Montana's Gatorade Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year in Montana this summer, and joins the Cats in competition for playing time at safety and on kick teams.
26 – Yards rushing by Travis Jonsen in last year's FCS Playoff win against Incarnate Word
Accomplished on five runs and featuring a touchdown run of 19 yards, Travis Jonsen's rushing total in Montana State's 35-14 win over Incarnate Word last season wasn't eye-popping. But then, stir in his 76 receiving yards and the 37-yard touchdown catch, and let that simmer for a while. When that's done sprinkle on his one pass attempt, a 10-yard completion, and you get a taste of what Travis Jonsen means to the Bobcat offense. His official position is receiver, but if you feel like restricting your enjoyment of him to that one prescribed role you're costing yourself some fun. Jonsen is as like to carry or throw the ball as catch it, and when it's anywhere in his vicinity his top-end speed makes him a threat to score. Jonsen began his career as a quarterback at Oregon before transferring to a junior college and finally coming to MSU. His work ethic and pleasant demeanor were among the factors that led his teammates to elect him a team captain this season, and enjoying the different ways offensive coordinator Matt Miller and head coach Jeff Choate find to use him will be a wild, fun ride.
Chronology: Norbert Grossman (1926), Pete Vavich (1934), Ernest Douglas (1937), James Krall (1940), Francis Ramstadt (1941), Gene Miles (1946-47), Jack Cohn (1948-50), Ray Schoessle (1953-54), Bob Peres (1955), Dick Cope (1956), John Kinna (1982-84), Tyler Huber (1985), Bob Long (1986-88), Shadrick Cole (1990-91), Walter Sampson (1992), Dylan Tripp (1994-95), Damon McNeal (1996-00), Garth French (2001), Demond Goins (2002-04), Arnold Briggs (2006-10), James Nelson (2011-13), Tre'von Strong (2015), Anthony Pegues (2016-17), Shawn Borges (2018), Rylan Ortt (2019-)
Other #26 Notes: In most cases, to be a successful college football player you really have to love football. You have to want to play. You have to really want to play. Arnold Briggs' start-and-stop Bobcat career is a testimony to that. Briggs signed with the Cats in February 2005, but the beginning of his career was delayed until January 2006 due to medical concerns, and he redshirted the succeeding fall. He played in 10 games as a redshirt freshman reserve cornerback in 2007, but moved to safety in the spring. He missed the first game, but once he entered the lineup he was off and running. He logged 54 tackles and intercepted two passes, and appeared to be a three-year fixture in the secondary. And then, just before the 2009 season, he tore his ACL and missed his entire junior campaign. There were probably moments when Briggs wondered if it was all worthwhile, but you never would have known it because of his ever-present smile and irrepressible joy. It doesn't always happen like this, but when it does it's awesome. Briggs' patience, his desire, his refusal to be denied, was rewarded in 2010. Called 'Gramps' by his teammates as a nod to his age – he was 23 by then – and seniority, Briggs was the glue of a talented secondary and logged 35 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions, a fumble recovered, and one forced. He was part of Montana State's first Big Sky title since 2005.
#26
Rylan Ortt, S: Rylan Ortt had plenty of opportunities to compete at the highest level of college athletics, but there was a catch. His most prolific sport was track and field, specifically the javelin. His preferred sport was football. So after intensive training, the safety from Missoula Sentinel joins the Bobcats this season. He won the javelin in nine straight meets to close his senior season, and also competed in the 100 m, long jump and 4 x 400 m relay. He was named Montana's Gatorade Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year in Montana this summer, and joins the Cats in competition for playing time at safety and on kick teams.
26 – Yards rushing by Travis Jonsen in last year's FCS Playoff win against Incarnate Word
Accomplished on five runs and featuring a touchdown run of 19 yards, Travis Jonsen's rushing total in Montana State's 35-14 win over Incarnate Word last season wasn't eye-popping. But then, stir in his 76 receiving yards and the 37-yard touchdown catch, and let that simmer for a while. When that's done sprinkle on his one pass attempt, a 10-yard completion, and you get a taste of what Travis Jonsen means to the Bobcat offense. His official position is receiver, but if you feel like restricting your enjoyment of him to that one prescribed role you're costing yourself some fun. Jonsen is as like to carry or throw the ball as catch it, and when it's anywhere in his vicinity his top-end speed makes him a threat to score. Jonsen began his career as a quarterback at Oregon before transferring to a junior college and finally coming to MSU. His work ethic and pleasant demeanor were among the factors that led his teammates to elect him a team captain this season, and enjoying the different ways offensive coordinator Matt Miller and head coach Jeff Choate find to use him will be a wild, fun ride.
Chronology: Norbert Grossman (1926), Pete Vavich (1934), Ernest Douglas (1937), James Krall (1940), Francis Ramstadt (1941), Gene Miles (1946-47), Jack Cohn (1948-50), Ray Schoessle (1953-54), Bob Peres (1955), Dick Cope (1956), John Kinna (1982-84), Tyler Huber (1985), Bob Long (1986-88), Shadrick Cole (1990-91), Walter Sampson (1992), Dylan Tripp (1994-95), Damon McNeal (1996-00), Garth French (2001), Demond Goins (2002-04), Arnold Briggs (2006-10), James Nelson (2011-13), Tre'von Strong (2015), Anthony Pegues (2016-17), Shawn Borges (2018), Rylan Ortt (2019-)
Other #26 Notes: In most cases, to be a successful college football player you really have to love football. You have to want to play. You have to really want to play. Arnold Briggs' start-and-stop Bobcat career is a testimony to that. Briggs signed with the Cats in February 2005, but the beginning of his career was delayed until January 2006 due to medical concerns, and he redshirted the succeeding fall. He played in 10 games as a redshirt freshman reserve cornerback in 2007, but moved to safety in the spring. He missed the first game, but once he entered the lineup he was off and running. He logged 54 tackles and intercepted two passes, and appeared to be a three-year fixture in the secondary. And then, just before the 2009 season, he tore his ACL and missed his entire junior campaign. There were probably moments when Briggs wondered if it was all worthwhile, but you never would have known it because of his ever-present smile and irrepressible joy. It doesn't always happen like this, but when it does it's awesome. Briggs' patience, his desire, his refusal to be denied, was rewarded in 2010. Called 'Gramps' by his teammates as a nod to his age – he was 23 by then – and seniority, Briggs was the glue of a talented secondary and logged 35 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions, a fumble recovered, and one forced. He was part of Montana State's first Big Sky title since 2005.
Players Mentioned
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
