Dietrich goes from walk-on to senior leader on the O-line
10/7/2016 3:33:00 PM | Football
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The Montana Grizzlies offensive line has gone from being one of the program's biggest question marks in 2015 to one of the biggest strengths of the 2016 team. And we do mean biggest.
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Redshirt senior right guard Devon Dietrich has been there during the best of times and the worst of times at Montana football, under both the current and the previous staff.
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He's been there to see injuries ravage leaders within the group, and been there as the group rallied to make major gains in the weight room during the offseason, now with an average weight of over 300 pounds.
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He's gone from being a walk-on freshman to ticking off 28 consecutive starts, or two years' worth of starts for the Grizzlies, the second most on the team. Now, nearly halfway through his final year in maroon and silver, Dietrich is taking the lessons learned over those 28 stars and applying them to a successful 2016 O-line unit.
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"We've had our ups and downs as far as guys going down and guys stepping up. But it's going really well so far," said Dietrich.
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"We've come together as an offensive line, even more so than we have in the past, and people have stepped up and It's almost as if nothing happened. We're playing really, really well right now."
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The offensive line has been a major contributor to the Grizzlies success so far this season, providing ample time for Brady Gustafson to throw for over 800 yards and six touchdowns in the past two games while allowing only two sacks.
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With those 28 stars, and fellow senior Ben Weyer out for the year, Dietrich is now the de-facto leader of the o-line, and for good reason too. You'd want a second-degree black belt in karate to be the leader of your group too.
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Dietrich has been studying martial arts since childhood. When he came to Montana to pursue academics, his experience karate gave him the confidence needed to walk-on to the football program.
Â
The rest, as they say, is history, as Dietrich makes one last push to help win a Big Sky Championship with the Griz.
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To see Dietrich's entire senior profile, click on the photo above. Â
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The Montana Grizzlies offensive line has gone from being one of the program's biggest question marks in 2015 to one of the biggest strengths of the 2016 team. And we do mean biggest.
Â
Redshirt senior right guard Devon Dietrich has been there during the best of times and the worst of times at Montana football, under both the current and the previous staff.
Â
He's been there to see injuries ravage leaders within the group, and been there as the group rallied to make major gains in the weight room during the offseason, now with an average weight of over 300 pounds.
Â
He's gone from being a walk-on freshman to ticking off 28 consecutive starts, or two years' worth of starts for the Grizzlies, the second most on the team. Now, nearly halfway through his final year in maroon and silver, Dietrich is taking the lessons learned over those 28 stars and applying them to a successful 2016 O-line unit.
Â
"We've had our ups and downs as far as guys going down and guys stepping up. But it's going really well so far," said Dietrich.
Â
"We've come together as an offensive line, even more so than we have in the past, and people have stepped up and It's almost as if nothing happened. We're playing really, really well right now."
Â
The offensive line has been a major contributor to the Grizzlies success so far this season, providing ample time for Brady Gustafson to throw for over 800 yards and six touchdowns in the past two games while allowing only two sacks.
Â
With those 28 stars, and fellow senior Ben Weyer out for the year, Dietrich is now the de-facto leader of the o-line, and for good reason too. You'd want a second-degree black belt in karate to be the leader of your group too.
Â
Dietrich has been studying martial arts since childhood. When he came to Montana to pursue academics, his experience karate gave him the confidence needed to walk-on to the football program.
Â
The rest, as they say, is history, as Dietrich makes one last push to help win a Big Sky Championship with the Griz.
Â
To see Dietrich's entire senior profile, click on the photo above. Â
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