BILLINGS — Terry Falcon took his first breath in the small town of Culbertson, nestled in eastern Montana. The Culbertson Cowboy turned into a three-sport powerhouse in basketball, track and field and 8-Man football. Falcon excelled in shot put, becoming a Class C stzte champion in 1972 and 1973, but he never intended to pursue sports beyond high school.
Watch video of Terry Falcon's climb to the NFL:
Minot State in North Dakota came calling, where he not only joined the track team but also transitioned to 11-man football as an offensive lineman. After two successful seasons in the NAIA, Falcon transferred to the University of Montana.
Head coach Jack Swarthout told him, “You’ll have to sit out a season due to the transfer rule, but you’ll start for us the next two.” When Gene Carlson took over the program, Falcon did start, making a name for himself as an All-Big Sky Conference player twice.
In a significant turn of events, Falcon was picked in the eighth round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He had never been to Boston, but he loved protecting quarterback Steve Grogan as the Patriots won their first divisional title. Notably, New England’s defensive coordinator was Bill Parcells, with linebackers coach Bill Belichick.
In 1980, the Culbertson Cowboy joined the New York Giants, playing both offensive guard and tackle with Phil Simms at quarterback. The emergence of the USFL in 1983 led Falcon to the Arizona Wranglers, where he started all 18 games.
Later, he returned to Montana to coach high school football. He and his wife, Becky (Feilzer), raised two children, Nicole and Robert. One little-known fact about Terry Falcon is that he proudly embraces his roots as a member of two Native American tribes: the Turtle Mountain Chippewa-Cree and Little Shell.
The induction ceremony is June 28 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center at 5 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person or $800 for a table of eight. Visit www.mtfootballhof.com for more information.
