BOBCATS 125: Ron East
5/31/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
A winding path brought Ron East to Bozeman, and the result was a spectacular season on the Blue and Gold an a long pro career
Leading to the 2022 season, the 125th anniversary of Montana State's first football team, we will look at 125 of the greatest Bobcats. You can find details here and a directory here.
Ron East, DT, 1966
ALL-TIME TEAM: 1969 Billings Gazette Team
HONORS: 1966 1st Team All-Big Sky
A CLOSER LOOK: A Portland native, Ron East followed a roundabout route to his lone, spectacular season at Montana State. After arriving at Oregon State on a football scholarship, East was informed that he was too small to challenge for starting with the Beavers. He enlisted in the Marines after his year at Oregon State, and in 1964 enrolled at Columbia Basin College, a two-year school in Washington. He was named the top defensive tackle in the Northwest Athletic Conference in 1964 and 1965, and was team captain during his second season. Larger West Coast programs had little interest in East because he had only one season of remaining eligibility due to his year at Oregon State, but Montana State welcomed him. The reward was an outstanding individual season from East and a dominant Big Sky campaign. The Cats won the first of three straight conference crowns by tearing through the league. MSU outscored conference opponents 145-46. After departing Bozeman East began a 137-game NFL career with four seasons in Dallas. East capped his first season in the famed Ice Bowl at Green Bay, a 21-17 Packers win in the NFL Championship Game, and the next two years lost to Cleveland in the playoffs. In 1970 Dallas finally advanced to the Super Bowl, losing to Baltimore. East was tradd to the Chargers and started at defensive tackle from 1971-73. He signed with the Hawaiians of the World Football League in 1974, then played for Cleveland in 1975, Atlanta in 1976 and Seattle in 1977. He earned induction into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.
QUOTE: "Ron East was the most aggressive player (I) ever coached." Tom Landry, quoted by AmericanFootballDatabase/fandom.com/wiki/Ron_East
Ron East, DT, 1966
ALL-TIME TEAM: 1969 Billings Gazette Team
HONORS: 1966 1st Team All-Big Sky
A CLOSER LOOK: A Portland native, Ron East followed a roundabout route to his lone, spectacular season at Montana State. After arriving at Oregon State on a football scholarship, East was informed that he was too small to challenge for starting with the Beavers. He enlisted in the Marines after his year at Oregon State, and in 1964 enrolled at Columbia Basin College, a two-year school in Washington. He was named the top defensive tackle in the Northwest Athletic Conference in 1964 and 1965, and was team captain during his second season. Larger West Coast programs had little interest in East because he had only one season of remaining eligibility due to his year at Oregon State, but Montana State welcomed him. The reward was an outstanding individual season from East and a dominant Big Sky campaign. The Cats won the first of three straight conference crowns by tearing through the league. MSU outscored conference opponents 145-46. After departing Bozeman East began a 137-game NFL career with four seasons in Dallas. East capped his first season in the famed Ice Bowl at Green Bay, a 21-17 Packers win in the NFL Championship Game, and the next two years lost to Cleveland in the playoffs. In 1970 Dallas finally advanced to the Super Bowl, losing to Baltimore. East was tradd to the Chargers and started at defensive tackle from 1971-73. He signed with the Hawaiians of the World Football League in 1974, then played for Cleveland in 1975, Atlanta in 1976 and Seattle in 1977. He earned induction into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.
QUOTE: "Ron East was the most aggressive player (I) ever coached." Tom Landry, quoted by AmericanFootballDatabase/fandom.com/wiki/Ron_East
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