BOBCATS 125: Ty O'Connor
7/12/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
A linchpin of Montana State's fine defenses in the late 1990s, Ty O'Connor quietly dominated in the middle of the D-line
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.
Ty O'Connor, DT, 1995-98
ALL-TIME TEAM: 2000 Billings Gazette All-Time Team
HONORS: Honorable Mention All-America in 1998, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 1997 and 1998
A CLOSER LOOK: Country strong. That's the phrase that was often used to describe Ty O'Connor, and it fit. He was a Bobcat prototype, a ranch kid from eastern Montana who didn't say much outside his teammates and circle of friends, but his play did plenty of talking. He produced from the very beginning, starting seven games as a redshirt freshman in 1995. He logged 55 tackles, four for a loss with two sacks, in 1996, then compiled an amazing (for an interior lineman) 149 tackles over the next two seasons, with 15.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. For perspective, fellow Bobcat defensive tackles (albeit in different systems) Dan Ogden 139 total tackles in his entire career) and Zach Minter (119 total career tackles) fall far short of O'Connor's career total of 221 total tackles. In 1996 he played with All-America defensive end Devlan Geddes and future All-America Neal Smith, and in 1997 Smith and O'Connor provided a tremendous tandem, but in 1998 he was flanked by a group of young future stars such as Nick Morasko and Shaun Ross and continued to dominate to cap a tremendous Bobcat career.
FROM TEAMMATE JOSH PERKINS: "Ty was exactly what I envisioned in a Montanan when I first met him after I landed in Bozeman from Compton, California. Loyal and passionate are the two words I think of when you mention Ty. He's one of the toughest guys I've ever met. Once you became his family/teammate he would do anything for you and have your back to the end, which was important for a loud mouth like me (laughs)."
Ty O'Connor, DT, 1995-98
ALL-TIME TEAM: 2000 Billings Gazette All-Time Team
HONORS: Honorable Mention All-America in 1998, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 1997 and 1998
A CLOSER LOOK: Country strong. That's the phrase that was often used to describe Ty O'Connor, and it fit. He was a Bobcat prototype, a ranch kid from eastern Montana who didn't say much outside his teammates and circle of friends, but his play did plenty of talking. He produced from the very beginning, starting seven games as a redshirt freshman in 1995. He logged 55 tackles, four for a loss with two sacks, in 1996, then compiled an amazing (for an interior lineman) 149 tackles over the next two seasons, with 15.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. For perspective, fellow Bobcat defensive tackles (albeit in different systems) Dan Ogden 139 total tackles in his entire career) and Zach Minter (119 total career tackles) fall far short of O'Connor's career total of 221 total tackles. In 1996 he played with All-America defensive end Devlan Geddes and future All-America Neal Smith, and in 1997 Smith and O'Connor provided a tremendous tandem, but in 1998 he was flanked by a group of young future stars such as Nick Morasko and Shaun Ross and continued to dominate to cap a tremendous Bobcat career.
FROM TEAMMATE JOSH PERKINS: "Ty was exactly what I envisioned in a Montanan when I first met him after I landed in Bozeman from Compton, California. Loyal and passionate are the two words I think of when you mention Ty. He's one of the toughest guys I've ever met. Once you became his family/teammate he would do anything for you and have your back to the end, which was important for a loud mouth like me (laughs)."
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