BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS: 82 Days til Kickoff, and a Look at a Productive Young Receiver
6/15/2020 3:24:00 PM | Football
Mark Estes is among a long line of tough, smart receivers to wear No. 82 in the Blue and Gold
June 15: 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 2020 football season against Long Island Post in Bobcat Stadium's annual Gold Rush game in September.
#82
Mark Estes, WR: The 2019 season was a positive model of the power of patience for Mark Estes. The redshirt freshman saw the field some during the first handful of games, then didn't play through the middle of the season. With the Bobcats experiencing injuries coming out of the bye week, Estes caught a pair of passes for 24 yards and carried once for 25 more at North Dakota. That set up a nice season-closing stretch for Estes, who caught one pass in the playoff win over Austin Peay, while carrying three times (11 yards) against Northern Colorado and two more times (28 yards) at North Dakota State. Estes flashed plenty of ability and toughness, and some nice burst in the team's jet sweep package. He enters the 2020 campaign firmly in competition for playing time at receiver.
Spotlight: It's easy to type-cast football players. Julius Lloyd came to MSU as a junior college receiver in the summer of 2009 with an impressive YouTube highlight reel. His specialty was using his jumping ability to go up and get balls – some called him Jumpin' Julius – on fade patterns. There was plenty of flash to this #82, or so it appeared. But once in the Bobcat program, Lloyd began proving almost immediately there was much, much more. A disciplined route-runner and willing blocker, Julius Lloyd was much more than a diva receiver. He was willing to do the usually-unseen work that makes offenses successful. And as Rob Ash always preached, when a player works for the betterment of the team, individual success always arrives. Lloyd finished his two-year career at MSU in 2010 with 1,153 receiving yards, 18th-best in school history, and his eight career touchdown catches was tied for 15th-most at MSU. His seven TD catches as a senior in 2010 is tied for 11th. As impressive as the stats remain, Lloyd's strength of character and classy demeanor continue to have a strong impact on MSU's receiver corps.
Chronology: Jim Stevens (1956), Bill Mack (1957-59), Carl Hinkle (1964-65), Don Mathern (1966-68), Ken Lucido (1970), Tim Allen (1971), Doug Vickery (1972), Scott Mizelle (1974), Al Reichow (1974, '75-76), Tom Pomroy (1977-78), Wade Abel (1979), Bill Walker (1980), Duane Baker (1982-86), Mark Woodcock (1987), Bucky Haynes (1988), Brian Plunkett (1989-90), Mike Cady (1992), Craig Galle (1995-99), Darryl Johnson (2000), Matt McCullough (2001-04), Nolan Lee (2005), Tyler Bolton (2006-08), Julius Lloyd (2009-10), Jake Olson (2011), Mitchell Herbert (2014-17), Mark Estes (2018-)
82 – Carries by Travis Jonsen in his First Team All-Big Sky 2019 season. Jonsen came to Montana State as a dual threat quarterback and moved to receiver before he even played in his first game. He caught 28 passes in 2018, then upped the ante with 55 catches in 2019. But it was carrying the ball from behind center that he really made his mark. He carried 82 times for 526 yards as a senior, averaging 6.4 yards a carry with eight rushing touchdowns. Included in that number is the game-winner at Cal Poly in overtime.
Other #82 Notes: Mike Kramer famously called receiver the 'pink Under Armour' position, a humorous slap at the toughness of pass-catchers by a former lineman. But at Montana State receiver is a position that seems to foster great students. Montana State's two most recent CoSIDA Academic All-Americas, Tanner Bleskin and Mitch Herbert, who brought jersey number 82 considerable distinction over the last four years, played receiver and re-wrote MSU's receiving record book in the process… Al Reichow, a receiver/tight end in the mid-1970s, was the son of long-time Minnesota Vikings executive Jerry Reichow, an interesting character himself. The elder Reichow had been a star quarterback and basketball player at Iowa before joining the Detroit Lions and later the Vikings.
#82
Mark Estes, WR: The 2019 season was a positive model of the power of patience for Mark Estes. The redshirt freshman saw the field some during the first handful of games, then didn't play through the middle of the season. With the Bobcats experiencing injuries coming out of the bye week, Estes caught a pair of passes for 24 yards and carried once for 25 more at North Dakota. That set up a nice season-closing stretch for Estes, who caught one pass in the playoff win over Austin Peay, while carrying three times (11 yards) against Northern Colorado and two more times (28 yards) at North Dakota State. Estes flashed plenty of ability and toughness, and some nice burst in the team's jet sweep package. He enters the 2020 campaign firmly in competition for playing time at receiver.
Spotlight: It's easy to type-cast football players. Julius Lloyd came to MSU as a junior college receiver in the summer of 2009 with an impressive YouTube highlight reel. His specialty was using his jumping ability to go up and get balls – some called him Jumpin' Julius – on fade patterns. There was plenty of flash to this #82, or so it appeared. But once in the Bobcat program, Lloyd began proving almost immediately there was much, much more. A disciplined route-runner and willing blocker, Julius Lloyd was much more than a diva receiver. He was willing to do the usually-unseen work that makes offenses successful. And as Rob Ash always preached, when a player works for the betterment of the team, individual success always arrives. Lloyd finished his two-year career at MSU in 2010 with 1,153 receiving yards, 18th-best in school history, and his eight career touchdown catches was tied for 15th-most at MSU. His seven TD catches as a senior in 2010 is tied for 11th. As impressive as the stats remain, Lloyd's strength of character and classy demeanor continue to have a strong impact on MSU's receiver corps.
Chronology: Jim Stevens (1956), Bill Mack (1957-59), Carl Hinkle (1964-65), Don Mathern (1966-68), Ken Lucido (1970), Tim Allen (1971), Doug Vickery (1972), Scott Mizelle (1974), Al Reichow (1974, '75-76), Tom Pomroy (1977-78), Wade Abel (1979), Bill Walker (1980), Duane Baker (1982-86), Mark Woodcock (1987), Bucky Haynes (1988), Brian Plunkett (1989-90), Mike Cady (1992), Craig Galle (1995-99), Darryl Johnson (2000), Matt McCullough (2001-04), Nolan Lee (2005), Tyler Bolton (2006-08), Julius Lloyd (2009-10), Jake Olson (2011), Mitchell Herbert (2014-17), Mark Estes (2018-)
82 – Carries by Travis Jonsen in his First Team All-Big Sky 2019 season. Jonsen came to Montana State as a dual threat quarterback and moved to receiver before he even played in his first game. He caught 28 passes in 2018, then upped the ante with 55 catches in 2019. But it was carrying the ball from behind center that he really made his mark. He carried 82 times for 526 yards as a senior, averaging 6.4 yards a carry with eight rushing touchdowns. Included in that number is the game-winner at Cal Poly in overtime.
Other #82 Notes: Mike Kramer famously called receiver the 'pink Under Armour' position, a humorous slap at the toughness of pass-catchers by a former lineman. But at Montana State receiver is a position that seems to foster great students. Montana State's two most recent CoSIDA Academic All-Americas, Tanner Bleskin and Mitch Herbert, who brought jersey number 82 considerable distinction over the last four years, played receiver and re-wrote MSU's receiving record book in the process… Al Reichow, a receiver/tight end in the mid-1970s, was the son of long-time Minnesota Vikings executive Jerry Reichow, an interesting character himself. The elder Reichow had been a star quarterback and basketball player at Iowa before joining the Detroit Lions and later the Vikings.
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