BOZEMAN — Montana State football players can include important traits on their resumes like leadership, communication and teamwork because of their time on the field.
Thanks to local Bozeman businesses, players will also have the opportunity to earn valuable experience off the field this summer.
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The program, labeled Bobcat Works, strives to provide players with meaningful internships that can strengthen their professional network and skills outside of football.
One of the players benefiting from the program is Adam Jones, a junior engineering major and the Bobcats' starting running back. Last summer, Jones and quarterback Patrick Duchien interned with former Bobcat Jon Knokey at Bridger Capital.
"I think I kind of got lucky," Jones said. "(Knokey) stumbled upon Pat and I this past summer and asked if we wanted to do this. When someone of Jon's caliber asks you that, you're going to say yes no matter what."
And Jones benefited from learning different sides of the business.
"It was really the best decision I've made," Jones said.
Knokey spoke to the room of current Bobcats about the impact this program will have on them.
"The whole program, the whole community, your head football coach care about you more as people and what you're going to go do in life than just football players," Knokey said. "And the community is going to benefit greatly from bringing our networks into the community."
The turnout for those on the mentorship side was high with over 20 CEOs, executives and senior leaders stepping up to mentor MSU players.
"Over 20 CEOs have raised their hand for a mentorship program and to open up their doors, their family, their business, their network," Knokey said. "That's impressive."
Jones was able to take lessons from his experience with the Bobcat Works program last summer.
"You don't have to have it all figured out. You can go and stumble and fall, but as long as you get back up, you keep going," Jones said. "That's what I learned from so many of these successful people, is that they struggled for a little bit and then when they found success, they weren't ever going to let go of it."
Jones hopes his teammates will join the program and feel the same impact he did from it.
"It's something that dug deep roots for me into Bozeman," Jones said. "If they weren't already there, this solidified that, getting to learn from people who have been in Bozeman, who have raised their families here, that are successful, is really why I love it."
