BOBCATS 125: Ott Romney
6/9/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Ott Romney gained great fame as Montana State's coach in the 1920s, but before that was a brilliant quarterback for one season
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.
Ott Romney, QB, 1914
ALL-TIME TEAM: 1933 Exponent 1st Team
HONORS: 1914 – All-State Quarterback. Said the December 4, 1914 Exponent: "The quarterback position undoubtedly goes to Ott Romney. As an open field runner he had no equal in the state. Even Robertson who added many a yard to the Bruins total gains was not the consistent, dependable ground gainer that Romney was when running in the open field. As a defensive lineman Romney was a tower of strength and his tackling was certain and accurate. In directing the team's attack his work was almost faultless. In this department he again faces a strong opponent in Robertson. Both directed their men remarkably well, although in the championship game Romney picked the flaws in his opponents defense and shifted his attack with better success than did Robertson. For his all round work as an individual player and his wonderful handling of the team, the blue and gold quarterback earns his position as well as captain of the all state aggregation."
A CLOSER LOOK: Ott Romney had played football and basketball at Utah from 1910-12, and after a year of grad school at Harvard came to Montana State to complete his undergraduate education while playing his senior season in 1914. At Montana State he was reunited with head coach Fred Bennion, who had coached him at Utah. Bennion, the last coach to lead Montana State under the "Aggies" banner and the first to coach the newly-christened "Bobcats," had great success at MSAC. His greatest contribution, though, may have been luring Romney to Bozeman. Montana State's only loss in 1914 came in front of 3,000 fans in Missoula. Romney led the Aggies to a 52-3 win over Utah State and an 18-0 triumph over North Dakota State. The next year Romney served as Bobcat Athletics' graduate manager, an administrative role with wide-ranging duties from tickets to scheduling to most anything that came along in the function of a college program.
After his time in Bozeman Romney coached at Billings High School then returned to his hometown to lead East High's efforts in Salt Lake City. But in 1922 he made the familiar journey north to Bozeman to lead his alma mater's athletic fortunes. The Bobcats had burned through three head coaches in the previous four seasons of competition and only Bennion had coached at the school for four years. That changed with Romney, though. He brought great coaching competency, but perhaps more importantly he brought spirit and passion for Bobcat athletics that almost immediately washed over the school.
Most importantly, though, he brought talent. With Schubert Dyche, who arrived a year later to assist, Romney attracted some of the greatest athletes in school history to Bozeman through his connections in both Utah and Billings. Even after nearly a century, six of the players Romney recruited to Bozeman are on this list of 125 all-time greats.
On the gridiron, Romney's teams finished 28-20-2, the ninth-most wins in school history. His .560 winning percentage is sixth among Bobcat coaches with at least 10 games coached. And as an athlete, his 1914 team's five wins was the program's high water mark until 1925 and that team's .833 winning percentage marked the program's best until 1956.
FROM 1933 EXPONENT: "Ott Romney was the best quarterback Montana State ever had. His generalship and knowledge of the game made him a 'marked man' in the conference. It is doubtful if a better football man ever played on a Montana field than Ott Romney. As a field general he has never been equaled by any other Montanan. Ott was the nucleus of the 1914 backfield, and his work will never be forgotten."
Ott Romney, QB, 1914
ALL-TIME TEAM: 1933 Exponent 1st Team
HONORS: 1914 – All-State Quarterback. Said the December 4, 1914 Exponent: "The quarterback position undoubtedly goes to Ott Romney. As an open field runner he had no equal in the state. Even Robertson who added many a yard to the Bruins total gains was not the consistent, dependable ground gainer that Romney was when running in the open field. As a defensive lineman Romney was a tower of strength and his tackling was certain and accurate. In directing the team's attack his work was almost faultless. In this department he again faces a strong opponent in Robertson. Both directed their men remarkably well, although in the championship game Romney picked the flaws in his opponents defense and shifted his attack with better success than did Robertson. For his all round work as an individual player and his wonderful handling of the team, the blue and gold quarterback earns his position as well as captain of the all state aggregation."
A CLOSER LOOK: Ott Romney had played football and basketball at Utah from 1910-12, and after a year of grad school at Harvard came to Montana State to complete his undergraduate education while playing his senior season in 1914. At Montana State he was reunited with head coach Fred Bennion, who had coached him at Utah. Bennion, the last coach to lead Montana State under the "Aggies" banner and the first to coach the newly-christened "Bobcats," had great success at MSAC. His greatest contribution, though, may have been luring Romney to Bozeman. Montana State's only loss in 1914 came in front of 3,000 fans in Missoula. Romney led the Aggies to a 52-3 win over Utah State and an 18-0 triumph over North Dakota State. The next year Romney served as Bobcat Athletics' graduate manager, an administrative role with wide-ranging duties from tickets to scheduling to most anything that came along in the function of a college program.
After his time in Bozeman Romney coached at Billings High School then returned to his hometown to lead East High's efforts in Salt Lake City. But in 1922 he made the familiar journey north to Bozeman to lead his alma mater's athletic fortunes. The Bobcats had burned through three head coaches in the previous four seasons of competition and only Bennion had coached at the school for four years. That changed with Romney, though. He brought great coaching competency, but perhaps more importantly he brought spirit and passion for Bobcat athletics that almost immediately washed over the school.
Most importantly, though, he brought talent. With Schubert Dyche, who arrived a year later to assist, Romney attracted some of the greatest athletes in school history to Bozeman through his connections in both Utah and Billings. Even after nearly a century, six of the players Romney recruited to Bozeman are on this list of 125 all-time greats.
On the gridiron, Romney's teams finished 28-20-2, the ninth-most wins in school history. His .560 winning percentage is sixth among Bobcat coaches with at least 10 games coached. And as an athlete, his 1914 team's five wins was the program's high water mark until 1925 and that team's .833 winning percentage marked the program's best until 1956.
FROM 1933 EXPONENT: "Ott Romney was the best quarterback Montana State ever had. His generalship and knowledge of the game made him a 'marked man' in the conference. It is doubtful if a better football man ever played on a Montana field than Ott Romney. As a field general he has never been equaled by any other Montanan. Ott was the nucleus of the 1914 backfield, and his work will never be forgotten."
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