BOBCATS 125: Rick Vancleeve
6/23/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Rick Vancleeve was part of a productive sophomore class in 1976 that sparked the Cats to a National Title
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.
Rick Vancleeve, DT, 1975-78
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: Honorable Mention All-America in 1978, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 1977 and 1978, 2nd Team All-Big Sky in 1976
A CLOSER LOOK: It's stunning at first glance, the lack of true star power recognized by outside organizations on the 1976 Bobcats. One of the greatest teams in Big Sky history, it goes to figure, should have a long list of accolades, but for whatever reason that squad included only one All-America and seven 1st Team All-Big Sky selections. As a refresher, the Cats steamrolled to a 6-0 Big Sky record with a 179-51 scoring differential.
The tricky part of that method of evaluation is that so many future stars contributed to that Bobcat team. Rick Vancleeve, a scrappy defensive tackle who had starred for Jack Johnson at Great Falls CMR, was one such player. Vancleeve took on a starters' role late in 1975 and never let go. In 1976 he earned 2nd Team All-Big Sky honors, landing on the first team the next two seasons. He was an Honorable Mention All-America as a senior. While defensive stats weren't officially recorded at that time, he unofficially logged six sacks and 45 solo stops as a junior, forcing and recovering a fumble. As a senior, Vancleeve punctuated his 40 total tackles with seven tackles-for-a-loss and six sacks, three forced fumbles (all against Boise State), two recovered, and four passes broken up.
FROM FORMER BOBCAT DEFENSIVE LINE COACH AND HEAD COACH CLIFF HYSELL, IN 1977 MSU EXPONENT: "Vancleeve is reckless and turns the big play."
FROM FORMER BOBCAT DEFENSIVE LINE COACH BUTCH DAMBERGER: "Rick was one of those guys that was just a football player. He wasn't much for the weight room, but he would just line up and play football. He wasn't the strongest guy, or the biggest, or the fastest, but he could really use his hands and got off blocks so well. When we traveled he was the first guy to get to the arcade game in the motel, he was always using up the board on whatever game was there. And between practices of two-a-days or three-a-days he could always find something to pass time, come up with some sort of game or something, he was that kind of jokester. But when it was time to line up and play football he could really go."
Rick Vancleeve, DT, 1975-78
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: Honorable Mention All-America in 1978, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 1977 and 1978, 2nd Team All-Big Sky in 1976
A CLOSER LOOK: It's stunning at first glance, the lack of true star power recognized by outside organizations on the 1976 Bobcats. One of the greatest teams in Big Sky history, it goes to figure, should have a long list of accolades, but for whatever reason that squad included only one All-America and seven 1st Team All-Big Sky selections. As a refresher, the Cats steamrolled to a 6-0 Big Sky record with a 179-51 scoring differential.
The tricky part of that method of evaluation is that so many future stars contributed to that Bobcat team. Rick Vancleeve, a scrappy defensive tackle who had starred for Jack Johnson at Great Falls CMR, was one such player. Vancleeve took on a starters' role late in 1975 and never let go. In 1976 he earned 2nd Team All-Big Sky honors, landing on the first team the next two seasons. He was an Honorable Mention All-America as a senior. While defensive stats weren't officially recorded at that time, he unofficially logged six sacks and 45 solo stops as a junior, forcing and recovering a fumble. As a senior, Vancleeve punctuated his 40 total tackles with seven tackles-for-a-loss and six sacks, three forced fumbles (all against Boise State), two recovered, and four passes broken up.
FROM FORMER BOBCAT DEFENSIVE LINE COACH AND HEAD COACH CLIFF HYSELL, IN 1977 MSU EXPONENT: "Vancleeve is reckless and turns the big play."
FROM FORMER BOBCAT DEFENSIVE LINE COACH BUTCH DAMBERGER: "Rick was one of those guys that was just a football player. He wasn't much for the weight room, but he would just line up and play football. He wasn't the strongest guy, or the biggest, or the fastest, but he could really use his hands and got off blocks so well. When we traveled he was the first guy to get to the arcade game in the motel, he was always using up the board on whatever game was there. And between practices of two-a-days or three-a-days he could always find something to pass time, come up with some sort of game or something, he was that kind of jokester. But when it was time to line up and play football he could really go."
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