BOZEMAN — Montana State Bobcat fans can get excited again, as a group of alums now in the NFL are coming back to town to put on the Bobcat Legacy Combine Camp in Big Sky and Bozeman.
The camp, which takes place at Lone Peak High School on Saturday and Bobcat Stadium on Sunday, is open to children from kindergarten to eighth grade.
Former MSU and NFL offensive lineman Lewis Kidd, who is now the camp director, explained how this event has grown over the past few years.
"Trying to make it available for everybody, as best as we possibly can," he said. "That’s also the idea with doing it in two locations, is like, ‘Hey, we’re not, we don’t want to take over just Bozeman.’ We want fans from every city, in Montana, all over the country. That’s how it should be."
The former players that will be returning to help run the camp include Tommy Mellott, Ty Okada, Lance McCutcheon, Daniel Hardy and Troy Andersen.
"It’s not just the guys that are showing up to this camp, it’s all the guys that have come before, all the guys that are currently playing," Kidd said about integrating past and present MSU football players to help with the weekend. "In this day and age of the college world, trying to just build up that loyalty and that community, that pride for being at Montana State, being a Bobcat."
The goal behind this event is to also have it feel like a reunion for the players and to grow the strong connection that is Bobcat Nation.
"Let’s create this thing that’s eventually just a weekend in the summer that’s almost like an alumni weekend," Kidd explained. "Like, having guys come back from past generations, current players. Let’s break bread, let’s talk, let’s share stories, talk about how we can continue to build this Bobcat Nation."
And the ability to connect with the kids that look up to these players is always special.
"There’s not that type of love and support where fans are willing to get all dressed up in their winter gear to sit in negative degree weather and watch a Bobcat football game," Kidd said.
"You know, an hour before the game, shoveling off their seats just to sit and watch. When we do get those chances to talk and make those relationships with these kids, it means so much more because, you know, those kids are up there watching."
To sign up for the camp in Big Sky, click here; for the Bozeman camp, click here.
