MISSOULA — Nai Mose is a well-traveled man when it comes to college football.
Mose grew up playing football in the Dallas-Forth Worth area in Texas, which led him to a unique opportunity to head to the nation's capital to compete at Georgetown.
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"I didn't grow up too wealthy," Mose said. "So seeing football as a way for me to get to college and pay for my schooling so that I didn't have to put that burden on my parents, that definitely made me want to go further, made me want to go play football and get a scholarship, not just for athletics, but also for academics."
As a true freshman, Mose played right away, and gradually developed into an All-Patriot League linebacker by the time he was a senior.
"It was definitely a hard move, a hard transition," Mose said. "But at the end of the day, I just always thought about what was I doing there, why was I there, what was motivating me to stay there. And so that kind of just pushed me to get through everything over there.
"Every day was a new day. Every week was a new week. And I guess it was kind of just finding that 1% of what can you do to get better that day. And kind of just stacking those days, day-by-day-by-day is kind of what led me to kind of get comfortable. And I think the biggest thing was being able to be comfortable in that environment and in that setting."
With his undergraduate degree in anthropology earned at Georgetown, and one year left thanks to a medical redshirt after an injury as a junior, Mose was ready to look for another opportunity where he could elevate his game and play at a higher level in a larger, more high-stakes environment.
So he packed his bags, and again, it was a cross-country venture from Washington D.C., to Missoula, Montana.
"With this being my last year, I kind of just wanted to just be able to just have fun, kind of just take advantage of this last year," Mose said. "So I kind of just wanted to just be at a place where I knew I could play and just contribute to the team's success.
"Family is the biggest factor in my life. I definitely put my family first. Everything I do, I always think about my family. I've got a good amount of siblings around the house who are always watching me ball, play ball, and kind of just inspiring those guys to follow my lead and kind of use football or any sport or academics to get into a school or college for free without having to pay for it."
Mose said he's preferred Montana's slow-paced lifestyle and environment compared to that of the Washington D.C. metropolis. And it's been a patient climb for Mose, who played sparingly to start the first few games as the Griz defense moved things around and figured out personnel on the defensive line and at linebacker.
After finding his spot and where best to utilize him at Will linebacker, Mose began to crack through and made plays against Drake and Utah Tech after just playing special teams against Southern Utah. Then, he broke out and led the team in tackles against Oregon State with 12.
After that performance, Mose drew his first start in UM's top-10 game against UC Davis this past Saturday where he starred, as the Grizzlies won by 40, and Mose again led the way in total tackles.
Currently, he co-leads Montana in solo tackles with 14, he's third on the team in tackles for loss with four, and second in overall tackles with 27, as he quickly took advantage of his opportunity.
"We all love to contribute to the team's success," Mose said. "I feel good about being able to make plays and being able to help my teammates make plays. It's always a good feeling when you can just go out there and just play and compete and know that your teammates have your back and that I have their back as well.
"It was definitely a more fast-paced environment. I realized how next level it is here to come and compete and play at a very fast level. So that was definitely a thing I had to get adjusted to was just the tempo. And also just the physicality here."
Mose is finding what he looked for at UM, as he continues to grow and improve on his final college ride. At UM, he's working on another bachelor's in criminology, with an eye on getting into law enforcement after college.
"I've came a long way and I'm still going," Mose said. "So I'm definitely just proud of all the things that I've overcame to get where I'm at today, especially at a school like the University of Montana, which is a beautiful place to be at. And a beautiful place to play football at."
