MISSOULA — The season for the Montana Grizzlies inches toward the opening kickoff, and for seniors on the team, last firsts are being checked off along the way.
Kellen Detrick is well aware of that, and in turn, is soaking it all in.
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"One day I'm going to miss all the little things, whether it's pursuit drill or whatever it is, I'm going to miss it all," Detrick said. "So just soak it all in and try to make myself proud, make my family proud and make my teammates proud."
Detrick's perspective comes from knowing how moments and opportunities can be taken and gone in a flash.
"It was bitter — because I can't call it bittersweet because nothing about it's sweet — because it's just the whole offseason, I was reminded that this is my last offseason," he said. "I was trying to soak everything in and just try to slow things down rather than speed things up because I was just trying to take everything in."
A Havre native, Detrick was a standout, do-all athlete for the Blue Ponies in high school, growing up dreaming of playing some kind of college sport.
He had some important idols to look up to, including his father who played college football at Montana State-Northern, as well as fellow Havre product Marc Mariani, one of Montana's all-time greats.
"I have this picture of him and I when he came back and when he was playing for the Titans, he came to Havre and he did this autograph signing at the mall in Havre," Detrick said. "And I probably sat in this line for, gosh, I don't know, six hours. And then I finally got to get an autograph from him and take a picture with him and everything. Then we actually got a picture after my first sack and that was all a full-circle moment."
The adjustment to moving to Missoula was tough for the small-town athlete who grew up farming, on top of learning how to play college football.
"One guy that really helped me out a lot was Alex Gubner," Detrick said. "He was kind of the guy immediately when I got here my freshman year. And he took me under his wing. And throughout all those years, and even still now, he's just helped me out in any form or fashion. And without him, I probably would have been lost out here, so he meant a lot to me."
Detrick began to see the field in 2022 and saw an increased role in multiple ways in 2023, but injury took away his entire 2024 season.
It's those obstacles that taught Detrick to appreciate everything and take nothing for granted.
"It made me want it more, just having to watch and do all that kind of stuff," Detrick said. "It definitely made me want it more and a little bit more determined."
So Detrick now begins the final run as a starter at defensive end for the Griz, ready to make an impact and enjoy it along the way with his teammates.
"I feel like it's a guy from Montana's dream to come true to play for Montana, and especially a guy coming from Havre, a smaller town or any of the other smaller towns where these guys are from out here," Detrick said. "It's honestly super cool. The people in Havre are just so great to me, and I can't thank them enough.
"Just a sense of everything paying off. All these guys, we all put in a lot of work, 20 years of our lives for that moment right there. So to be able to get on the field, maybe make a play or two, I mean, just everything comes full circle. It means a lot."
