BOBCATS 125: Fred Chez
5/7/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Fred Chez followed an interesting path to Montana State, and was an outstanding Bobcat
Leading to the 2022 season, the 125th anniversary of Montana State's first football season, we will look at 125 of the greatest Bobcats. You can find details here and a directory here.
Fred Chez, FB/G, 1927-28
ALL-TIME TEAM: 1933 Exponent 1st Team, 2000 Billings Gazette All-Time Team
HONORS: 1928 Honorable Mention All-America
A CLOSER LOOK: Fred Chez followed an interesting path to Montana State. Originally from Ogden, Utah, he began his college career at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, in the fall of 1924. Chez captained the freshman team that season, which was the last of an eight-year run that saw tiny Centre's 'Wonder Team' all but dominate college football in the South. Left out of the Southern Conference, the 1924 Prayin' Colonels finished their season by beating Kentucky (for the seventh straight time), Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. Chez was at Montana State in the fall of 1926, and it's easy to speculate that his interest in the Bozeman school stemmed in some way from the presence of coaches Ott Romney and Schubert Dyche. Those two hailed from the Utah and built Montana State into a competitive football program and a basketball power using excellent Montana products and imports from their native state. Chez again captained the freshman team that fall, as football players weren't eligible for varsity competition until enrolled at a school for 12 months. A physical education major, Chez made a major impact on campus. He joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, was a member of Les Bouffouns social fraternity, which consisted of the top 10 senior men each year, and was junior and senior class president. He starred as a fullback in 1927, his first season of varsity football, throwing a touchdown pass against Utah State during a game played in Ogden, Chez's hometown. In 1928 moved to guard and was even more impressive in that position. According to one source he earned honorable mention All-America honors as a senior. Chez went on to a long, successful coaching career throughout the west after his days at Montana State.
FROM THE EXPONENT ALL-TIME TEAM EDITION: "A powerful guard who used his height and speed to great advantage. A hard smashing line man who never stopped fighting. He was rated by many as the best interference runner of them all. One of the mainstays of the line, he would smash his way through to smear the opponents before they reached the line of scrimmage."
FROM THE DECEMBER 11, 1928 EXPONENT: "Chez, captain and outstanding man of the Bobcat squad was chosen for the all-conference team as a guard. It will be remembered that Chez played fullback last year but was shifted to guard to bolster the line. Throughout the season Chez was the cause of great worry to the opposition. He was always a demon on defense and a tiger on offense. During games he continually broke through the opposing line to break up play after play, or to open a hole for the back field. This is Freddie's last year."
Fred Chez, FB/G, 1927-28
ALL-TIME TEAM: 1933 Exponent 1st Team, 2000 Billings Gazette All-Time Team
HONORS: 1928 Honorable Mention All-America
A CLOSER LOOK: Fred Chez followed an interesting path to Montana State. Originally from Ogden, Utah, he began his college career at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, in the fall of 1924. Chez captained the freshman team that season, which was the last of an eight-year run that saw tiny Centre's 'Wonder Team' all but dominate college football in the South. Left out of the Southern Conference, the 1924 Prayin' Colonels finished their season by beating Kentucky (for the seventh straight time), Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. Chez was at Montana State in the fall of 1926, and it's easy to speculate that his interest in the Bozeman school stemmed in some way from the presence of coaches Ott Romney and Schubert Dyche. Those two hailed from the Utah and built Montana State into a competitive football program and a basketball power using excellent Montana products and imports from their native state. Chez again captained the freshman team that fall, as football players weren't eligible for varsity competition until enrolled at a school for 12 months. A physical education major, Chez made a major impact on campus. He joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, was a member of Les Bouffouns social fraternity, which consisted of the top 10 senior men each year, and was junior and senior class president. He starred as a fullback in 1927, his first season of varsity football, throwing a touchdown pass against Utah State during a game played in Ogden, Chez's hometown. In 1928 moved to guard and was even more impressive in that position. According to one source he earned honorable mention All-America honors as a senior. Chez went on to a long, successful coaching career throughout the west after his days at Montana State.
FROM THE EXPONENT ALL-TIME TEAM EDITION: "A powerful guard who used his height and speed to great advantage. A hard smashing line man who never stopped fighting. He was rated by many as the best interference runner of them all. One of the mainstays of the line, he would smash his way through to smear the opponents before they reached the line of scrimmage."
FROM THE DECEMBER 11, 1928 EXPONENT: "Chez, captain and outstanding man of the Bobcat squad was chosen for the all-conference team as a guard. It will be remembered that Chez played fullback last year but was shifted to guard to bolster the line. Throughout the season Chez was the cause of great worry to the opposition. He was always a demon on defense and a tiger on offense. During games he continually broke through the opposing line to break up play after play, or to open a hole for the back field. This is Freddie's last year."
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