Mercer makes best of switch to 'Dark Side'
8/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Of all the amazing plays from the Montana Grizzlies' 2008 season, you'd have to reserve a spot in the top five for George Mercer's interception return against Montana State.
It bears noting that the Libby product had just entered the game, so he should've been primed to over pursue and set up a Bobcat screen pass. The play started that way, before Mercer caught himself, backtracked and gathered in an under thrown ball.
Seventy-three yards later, he put a capper to Montana's 35-3 win, tumbling into the end zone along with pursuing running back Demetrius Crawford.
It was going to be hard to top that highlight, and Mercer was already dragging a troublesome knee, which got worse in Montana's 35-27 semifinal upset at James Madison. He played some in the 24-7 loss to Richmond in the Football Championship Subdivision title game, but surgery was on the horizon.
"The knee was an ongoing thing, but it really happened at JMU," said the 235-pounder. "I still played in the championship, but that late in the season I was pretty beat up.
"I didn't do spring ball at all ... but I'm good to go, now. I'm looking forward to being real healthy this season."
That would be a boost for Montana's defensive line, which lost Mike Stadnyk (52 tackles, 7.5 sacks) to the CFL. Mercer, who had 16 tackles and a sack in 12 games last fall, is one of six ends competing for playing time.
"The group looks good," he said. "Jace (Palmer, who had 8.5 sacks last fall) is coming back, and that's good. Everybody's weights are up, we're a lot stronger, and we're looking for a lot of guys to contribute."
Stadnyk is the latest pair of shoes to fill. Montana lost Buck Buchanan Award winner Kroy Biermann to the NFL in 2008, and kept collapsing pass pockets. Before that the Griz had to replace the likes of Mike Murphy and Dustin Dlouhy, Ciche Pitcher and Tim Bush. The list goes on.
"That's kind of the story of the D-line; you've got to have guys ready to fill in spots," said Palmer.
Aside from Palmer and Mercer, the main candidates are sophomore Ryan Fetherston, junior college transfer Bobby Alt, redshirt freshman Josh Harris and junior Severin Campbell.
That Mercer was a walk-on who figured to try his hand at receiver is in itself remarkable.
"There are a couple notable guys who've walked on here and he's one of them," seventh-year coach Bobby Hauck said. "We didn't really know about him until he walked into our winter program in January a few years back."
He made an impression, but it wasn't at his preferred position, wide receiver. He was switched to defense early.
"He didn't know what to think of that," said Hauck. "He'd never had a hand on the ground; he'd always been a skill guy. But ... we try to project where people will be, and it's worked out pretty well."
"At first, the move was hard," Mercer said. "I called my parents, and my dad was just silent on the phone. Now we call it 'The Dark Side.' I'd rather stay on the Dark Side than the receivers' side. Defense always wins the games."
It's won a few, including that last Griz-Cat game. A Montana goal-line stand started it; Mercer's TD ended it.
"Obviously he's made some plays in his career that are pretty remarkable," said Hauck. "The most notable probably the interception for a touchdown in the rivalry game."
Palmer had a good seat to watch it, since Mercer had just subbed for him.
"I came out the play right before," said Palmer. "I just remember looking up and seeing him play it (the screen) pretty well."
Not that Palmer wishes it had been him.
"I've never been the guy who would say, 'Oh that should've been me.' I was happy for him," he said. "It's a big man's dream, to get one in the end zone. It's something I haven't done, but for him to do that was pretty cool."
