BILLINGS — Members of the Montana State football team were in Billings on Wednesday afternoon hosting a free youth camp and participating in a Bobcat Collective event.
MTN Sports caught up with Bobcat linebacker Bryce Grebe. Grebe talked filling in for the injured Danny Uluilakepa midway through last season, the impact his brother Brody had on his development, as well as enjoying Brody’s wedding earlier in July.
Following is a look at the conversation:
MTN Sports: How important is it to you that you guys are out in the Montana communities holding camps for the youth?
Bryce Grebe: The amount of support the Billings community gives us is just phenomenal. To be able to give back and really inspire the kids and go out and make an impact on them, it's something they'll never forget and I'm honored to do it, honestly.
MTN: Your brother (Brody) had a great career at MSU. He celebrated his wedding in the past week or so. How was that?
Grebe: It was a good night, for sure. I was able to be his best man and give a speech. It was a fun time. We got coaches down there, old players, Troy (Andersen). It was just good to see the guys that Brody played with and the impact he had on people.
MTN: Speaking of impact, what kind of blueprint did he lay for you, so to speak, as to get through your career at MSU and hopefully get to the next level?
Grebe: I lived with him this last year and just the amount he taught me — how to live the college life and do your thing day-in, day-out — and just the effort he showed me and accountability and just the blueprint he laid for me to follow. I can look back and go, 'Oh, how did Brody do that? He was an All-American. How did he do things?' For me to be able to follow that in his footsteps is just amazing.
MTN: You had to play a ton last year after Danny Uluilakepa went down in that Idaho game. To get thrust into action as a redshirt freshman, was it kind of like getting thrown to the fire, thrown to the wolves?
Grebe: For sure. To start off the season I was getting a little playing time, 10 plays here and there, and I was Danny's backup. He goes down — you never know when someone is going to go down — he goes down, I'm up. Let me tell you, I was so nervous. Sitting there on the sideline, he goes down, thoughts going through my head. In all reality, it was time for me to step up and it was really meant to be.
The countdown is on to Montana State's season opener at FBS power and defending Big Ten champion Oregon on Aug. 30.
