“The work has been done” – Olson prepared, confident, on Draft week
4/22/2020 4:25:00 PM | Football
Montana linebacker Dante Olson caught the attention of the football world at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February when he hit 42 inches on the vertical jump test, one of the best results by a linebacker ever at the event.
It was, at the time, the zenith of one of the most legendary careers in Griz football history – a Buchanan Award-winning, Big Sky record-breaking, community service-orientated, "outwork everyone" career that etched his name at the top of UM record books.
Now Olson will take the next step in that illustrious career as the NFL Draft approaches this week (Thursday through Saturday), and the son of a Hall of Fame football coach prepares to realize a lifetime dream of playing on the world's biggest stage.
For many of the hundreds of players hoping to hear their name called this could the most stressful week of their lives. Not for Olson. Since returning to Missoula after the Combine to live, train, and maybe do a little fishing, he enters Draft week with a calm head, knowing he's done everything he can to make his case as one of the most NFL-ready linebackers in the country.
"I'm feeling pretty good, actually. A lot of people might get stressed out because it's a really big week for the next chapter, and it all comes down to one weekend," said Olson.
"But the more I think about it, my whole life, and especially the last five years since I've been at Montana, the work has been done. Whether it was scout team, special teams, two years as a starter, or getting the opportunity to go to the all-star game and the Combine, the work has been done."
It's a body of work that NFL scouts have poured over for more than a year, with each franchise sending multiple talent evaluators through Missoula to see if the guy posing those gaudy tackle numbers (150-plus for two-straight years as a starter) really had what it takes to play at the next level.
They all came to Montana, and Olson passed the eye test. After a record-breaking season and an FCS Quarterfinal appearance by the Griz, Olson did enough to earn an invite to the Scouting Combine.
There, he leaped out of the building with a 42 inch vertical and a 124-inch broad jump and instantly became the talk of Indianapolis with his explosiveness. But when it came time to test his flat-out speed in the 40, the talk changed. With a sub-optimal sprint time of 4.88, he left Indiana looking to improve at Montana's Pro Day, which was to be held April 2.
Then, the world changed as the coronavirus spread globally and shut down virtually all sporting events of any kind.
While he didn't get the opportunity to put a better sprint time on paper for scouts, he knows that football isn't played in long stretches of 40 yards, it's played in short bursts. And that explosiveness is why he's been so effective on the field.
In addition to having great film, Olson has taken away other intangibles from the Combine and scouting process, and that's an area where he's always excelled: personal relationships. As players and teams alike navigate these uncharted waters, Olson feels like his stock is rising.
"That's really what it's all about. It's about who you know and how you played. I've been able to interact with a ton of different defensive coordinators and personnel guys since the Combine," added Olson.
"It's been a lot of phone calls and FaceTime installs, seeing how I pick up the defense. This is also the first time for them, having to do this, so it just comes down to make the most out of the opportunity you have."
With the "hay in the barn" and Draft weekend here, now all Olson has to do is wait for his call, and focus on being the best version of himself when his shot at training camp arrives.
"I'm on a six-day a week schedule just working out, running, change of direction stuff, just staying in shape for when the time comes and this all settles down so when I get into a camp somewhere, I'm ready to rock," he said.
This week, Olson is expected to be the first Grizzly since Tyron Holmes was picked in the 6th round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 to hear his name called in the draft.
If, and more likely, when, that happens, he'll also become the 149th Grizzly to go on to play professionally and the 53rd draft pick in program history, joining a long line of Grizzly greats in the pros.
Now it's just a waiting game, and it's a game that's out of his hands.
"I've had some really good interview calls, FaceTime interviews with a bunch of different teams, so nothing is up to me anymore, it's up to God and the team that wants to take a chance on me. So, come Friday or Saturday I'll probably be a little bit more stressed, but right now I'm just trying to work out and enjoy the sunshine."
The 2020 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 23 and ends on Saturday, April 25. The first round will take place on Thursday with rounds two and three airing on Friday. The last four rounds are held Saturday.
The first round will start live at 6:00 p.m. and go until approximately 9:30 p.m. MT. Friday's TV coverage of the NFL Draft will start at 5:00 p.m. MT while Saturday's will begin at 10:00 a.m. MT.
ABC, ESPN and NFL Network will air all seven rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. ESPN and NFL Network are joining forces for the draft broadcast, using combined resources to offer a singular presentation across both networks. ABC will offer its own unique broadcast for the first three rounds.
It was, at the time, the zenith of one of the most legendary careers in Griz football history – a Buchanan Award-winning, Big Sky record-breaking, community service-orientated, "outwork everyone" career that etched his name at the top of UM record books.
Now Olson will take the next step in that illustrious career as the NFL Draft approaches this week (Thursday through Saturday), and the son of a Hall of Fame football coach prepares to realize a lifetime dream of playing on the world's biggest stage.
For many of the hundreds of players hoping to hear their name called this could the most stressful week of their lives. Not for Olson. Since returning to Missoula after the Combine to live, train, and maybe do a little fishing, he enters Draft week with a calm head, knowing he's done everything he can to make his case as one of the most NFL-ready linebackers in the country.
"I'm feeling pretty good, actually. A lot of people might get stressed out because it's a really big week for the next chapter, and it all comes down to one weekend," said Olson.
"But the more I think about it, my whole life, and especially the last five years since I've been at Montana, the work has been done. Whether it was scout team, special teams, two years as a starter, or getting the opportunity to go to the all-star game and the Combine, the work has been done."
It's a body of work that NFL scouts have poured over for more than a year, with each franchise sending multiple talent evaluators through Missoula to see if the guy posing those gaudy tackle numbers (150-plus for two-straight years as a starter) really had what it takes to play at the next level.
They all came to Montana, and Olson passed the eye test. After a record-breaking season and an FCS Quarterfinal appearance by the Griz, Olson did enough to earn an invite to the Scouting Combine.
There, he leaped out of the building with a 42 inch vertical and a 124-inch broad jump and instantly became the talk of Indianapolis with his explosiveness. But when it came time to test his flat-out speed in the 40, the talk changed. With a sub-optimal sprint time of 4.88, he left Indiana looking to improve at Montana's Pro Day, which was to be held April 2.
Then, the world changed as the coronavirus spread globally and shut down virtually all sporting events of any kind.
While he didn't get the opportunity to put a better sprint time on paper for scouts, he knows that football isn't played in long stretches of 40 yards, it's played in short bursts. And that explosiveness is why he's been so effective on the field.
In addition to having great film, Olson has taken away other intangibles from the Combine and scouting process, and that's an area where he's always excelled: personal relationships. As players and teams alike navigate these uncharted waters, Olson feels like his stock is rising.
"That's really what it's all about. It's about who you know and how you played. I've been able to interact with a ton of different defensive coordinators and personnel guys since the Combine," added Olson.
"It's been a lot of phone calls and FaceTime installs, seeing how I pick up the defense. This is also the first time for them, having to do this, so it just comes down to make the most out of the opportunity you have."
With the "hay in the barn" and Draft weekend here, now all Olson has to do is wait for his call, and focus on being the best version of himself when his shot at training camp arrives.
"I'm on a six-day a week schedule just working out, running, change of direction stuff, just staying in shape for when the time comes and this all settles down so when I get into a camp somewhere, I'm ready to rock," he said.
This week, Olson is expected to be the first Grizzly since Tyron Holmes was picked in the 6th round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 to hear his name called in the draft.
If, and more likely, when, that happens, he'll also become the 149th Grizzly to go on to play professionally and the 53rd draft pick in program history, joining a long line of Grizzly greats in the pros.
Now it's just a waiting game, and it's a game that's out of his hands.
"I've had some really good interview calls, FaceTime interviews with a bunch of different teams, so nothing is up to me anymore, it's up to God and the team that wants to take a chance on me. So, come Friday or Saturday I'll probably be a little bit more stressed, but right now I'm just trying to work out and enjoy the sunshine."
The 2020 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 23 and ends on Saturday, April 25. The first round will take place on Thursday with rounds two and three airing on Friday. The last four rounds are held Saturday.
The first round will start live at 6:00 p.m. and go until approximately 9:30 p.m. MT. Friday's TV coverage of the NFL Draft will start at 5:00 p.m. MT while Saturday's will begin at 10:00 a.m. MT.
ABC, ESPN and NFL Network will air all seven rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. ESPN and NFL Network are joining forces for the draft broadcast, using combined resources to offer a singular presentation across both networks. ABC will offer its own unique broadcast for the first three rounds.
Players Mentioned
LB
/ FootballGriz Football Spring Game Highlights - 4/10/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Football Spring Practice - 3/2/26
Monday, March 30
Griz Football Spring Preview Press Conference
Monday, March 30
Griz Football Winter Condo - 2/20/26
Monday, March 30
