MISSOULA — Tanner Huff is a walking example of what the Montana Grizzlies program was built upon.
The senior from Butte was a walk on in the fall of 2021.
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Initially, Huff was committed to Montana Western in the Frontier Conference, but after starring as a multi-time state champion in track and field as a high school senior, he showcased his ability, particularly his speed, and the Grizzlies saw potential.
Huff won the 100, 200 and was on both Class AA state title relay teams for the Bulldogs that season.
"I remember (former UM defensive line coach Barry Sacks) telling me I had an offer if I wanted to take it, and to talk with my family," Huff recalled of the offer shortly after state track. "I said, 'I'm coming here. I'm committed.' He goes, 'Do you want to talk to your family?' I said, 'They'll understand. I'm committed.'
"It was kind of chaotic, but I was kind of proud of all the work I've done, but there's more work to be done. So I got to enjoy it. After every win in life, you get to enjoy it for a little bit and then you got to go prove yourself again."
Huff saw an opportunity and jumped on it, but as the youngest of three siblings, competition was all he knew.
"A lot of fights, a lot of love, everything," he said with a laugh. "My parents, we played across the street in a big yard and they'd hear someone yell or something. They just knew to lock the door because we were all coming in, running, trying to knock on the door to tell our story. But I thought that was funny looking back on it. But all competitive, a lot. We pushed each other to the absolute most that we could."
Huff joined the Griz and the grind was on, as he embraced the work needed to make it in the program as he followed in the footsteps of one of his idols, fellow Butte walk-on Colt Anderson.
"It was definitely challenging, very challenging that first fall camp, then after that it was just proving yourself, knowing that you can do it, you can be here, you deserve to be here, everything like that," Huff said. "And then after that it's you know what to expect and then you can move all along a lot faster and understand everything that's about to go happen.
"I really relied on my faith and grew deeper into it and understood that I'm an audience of one and that's God upstairs. And He's the only one that can judge me. But He wouldn't give me this challenge if He knew I couldn't get through it. So that was my mindset."
The first few years possessed their obstacles, as Huff seldom played while battling injuries while also working through multiple position changes. He started at Montana as a wide receiver and also saw time at cornerback before eventually finding a home at safety.
But last season he cracked through like many do at Montana: As a star on special teams.
"We want to be the best. And we know that we can make a play happen at any time, but just flying around and having fun, I think that's what it is," Huff said. "It's just me embracing it with my best friends and being out here. The fans get you going too.
"We can flip the game at any given time. And here at Montana, it's flipped games and it's won us games. So I take a lot of pride in it."
This year, Huff has gone above and beyond as a star on special teams for the Grizzlies, from flipping momentum with big plays, to huge hits that fire up the Washington-Grizzly Stadium crowd. He recovered a key fumble against Sacramento State that led to UM taking the lead for good, and has had one highlight reel hit after another all season.
"It's very supportive. I love it here. I love it back home," Huff said. "I get a lot of texts, get a lot of calls telling me to keep going, that they're proud of me. And I couldn't describe even what to really say because they're the ones that pushed me as hard as I am."
Montanans like Huff make up the fabric of the program at UM, and Huff carries that Treasure State and Butte pride with him.
With the Brawl of the Wild here this Saturday in Missoula, those players take center stage with playoffs also around the corner as Huff makes the most of his final ride as a Grizzly.
"I have been proud, very proud of myself," Huff said. "At the beginning, I didn't know if I'd make it, and then being able to be in the position I am. And it's just amazing. I don't know how else to describe it, but there's more work to be done and we're just getting started.
"The most special is just representing my hometown, representing my state, and playing for the name across my chest."
