Hurlburt’s legacy to live on after senior day
11/10/2022 7:30:00 PM | Football
It's senior day at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday. A time when Grizzly football, and indeed the entire University of Montana Community, salutes the men who have put in all the blood, sweat, and tears that go into being a student-athlete as they prepare to go out and make the world a better place.
This year, 14 Grizzly seniors will be in the spotlight before Montana kicks off its final regular season game against Eastern Washington, receiving a standing ovation as they run out of the Topel Tunnel.
Most of those seniors taking the field Saturday will do so with the obligatory "R-Sr." next to their name on the roster, sports information shorthand for redshirt senior, or guys on their last year of eligibility.
One Grizzly, however, has decided to hang 'em up early. In no way is he quitting on his teammates, however. Quite the opposite.
On Saturday, Montana will celebrate the career of Alex Hurlburt, who, against all odds, has served as a shining example of what it means to be a Grizzly. While he'll no longer suit up on Saturdays, the one thing he's sure to do is go out and make the world a better place.
Hurlburt will go through senior day ceremonies as a sophomore on the roster but a senior in the classroom – a byproduct of an added year of NCAA eligibility during the pandemic.
He's on the fast track in life, and the fact he was born without half of his left arm hasn't slowed him down.
Last summer he and his high school sweetheart Olivia tied the knot. In the spring he'll graduate from Montana with dual majors in Management Information Systems and Finance. Shortly after, he and his bride will return to their home state of Oregon where he will begin working as an audit associate at KPMG, a multinational accounting firm.
The future is bright for Hurlburt, and football simply wasn't part of the equation anymore.
"I just got a ton of great opportunities. I guess I'm further along in my personal life than most are at this age, so that was a big part of deciding to retire. I'm at that point where I'm ready to take that next step, and I'm looking forward to it. It's an exciting time," he said.
Less than a week ago Hurlburt made his first appearance in a regular season game for the Griz, taking the field late against Cal Poly in a snow globe at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Some fans may not have noticed he was on the field, but everyone on the sideline and up in the press box sure did.
After being at every practice, every early morning lift, and every cold winter workout, Hurlburt took the field to big cheers from his teammates, coaches, and those in the team's inner circle.
As the 2021 defensive scout team player of the year, taking the field was more than just a tip of the hat. It was a recognition for all those years of unsung hard work behind closed doors and beating the odds.
"Alex is a terrific guy," said head coach Bobby Hauck. "He's well-rounded, a good student, and accomplished on and off the field. He's popular with his teammates. He's a mature guy, got married this past year, and has a course set out for himself. He's really a guy that's admired by all his coaches and teammates, including me."
As his final days in a Grizzly uniform draw closer, he'll have that game to look back on as his moment in the spotlight.
"That game was honestly my second favorite game I've been a part of here. Obviously, the number one was the Griz/Cat game last year. That was by far the best, but Cal Poly was just a one-of-a-kind of environment," said Hurlburt.
"It was great. It was fun to get out there. People were excited for me. I was excited. It was great to get a couple reps and just be with some of those guys that I've played with for four years."
LEAVING A LEGACY
While he may not be in the record books at Montana for his heroics on the field, he most certainly will leave an impact beyond measure – both in Western Montana and around the country – for his heroics off the field.
In 2021 he used his platform as a Grizzly to inspire other kids with a physical disability, starting a mentorship with a third grader in Stevensville who grew up with much of his leg missing, and another with a youngster at Paxon Elementary in Missoula.
Later that year he received Montana Campus Compact Athletes in Service Award, recognizing student-athletes across the state who have dedicated their efforts to serving the community while also pursuing a college degree while participating in a sport.
In fact, throughout his time at UM, Hurlburt could be found lending a hand when needed, volunteering to help freshmen move into the dorms, helping out at the Missoula Food Bank, and joining the Neighbors Helping Neighbors leaf raking program in Missoula.
This past summer he took that drive to help nationwide, traveling to Illinois to coach at the NubAbility Athletics Foundation camp, a nonprofit that hots limb different sports camps for young athletes who are congenital, traumatic or medical amputees from around the world.
"The goal is to get these kids to come and play together and realize that they're not limited. That's something I didn't have as a kid, which would have helped me realize that I can play. That I can use my arm as an advantage. That's what we encourage these kids to do and we show them ways to do it. We coach them like any other kids. Sometimes we coach them even harder," said Hurlburt.
"It's something that was probably one of the funnest experiences I've ever had."
Now, as he gets ready to depart the football field, he says he'll be returning to NubAbility to help pass on his passion for athletics to the next generation for years to come.
Over the summer he even did fundraising in Missoula at a local department store to help raise scholarship money so other kids from Montana could take part.
"I ended up getting connected to someone here in Missoula whose son plays football and baseball. He has one hand and is very athletic. Reminds me a lot of myself as a kid. So hopefully we'll get him out to a camp this year and see if we can get some more Montana kids too."
Hurlburt made national headlines when he signed to play D-I football out of high school.
Keep an eye on him as he gets set to head out to the world after college, because he's likely to make more headlines for all the right reasons. Reasons that any Montana fan can be proud of.
"I don't think my time at Montana could have gone any better. I'm really happy with how everything turned out. School, football, being married and the people I've met and gotten to know. It just couldn't have been better," Hurlburt said.
"This was just the path that was given to me, and I wouldn't change that for the world."
This year, 14 Grizzly seniors will be in the spotlight before Montana kicks off its final regular season game against Eastern Washington, receiving a standing ovation as they run out of the Topel Tunnel.
Most of those seniors taking the field Saturday will do so with the obligatory "R-Sr." next to their name on the roster, sports information shorthand for redshirt senior, or guys on their last year of eligibility.
One Grizzly, however, has decided to hang 'em up early. In no way is he quitting on his teammates, however. Quite the opposite.
On Saturday, Montana will celebrate the career of Alex Hurlburt, who, against all odds, has served as a shining example of what it means to be a Grizzly. While he'll no longer suit up on Saturdays, the one thing he's sure to do is go out and make the world a better place.
Hurlburt will go through senior day ceremonies as a sophomore on the roster but a senior in the classroom – a byproduct of an added year of NCAA eligibility during the pandemic.
He's on the fast track in life, and the fact he was born without half of his left arm hasn't slowed him down.
Last summer he and his high school sweetheart Olivia tied the knot. In the spring he'll graduate from Montana with dual majors in Management Information Systems and Finance. Shortly after, he and his bride will return to their home state of Oregon where he will begin working as an audit associate at KPMG, a multinational accounting firm.
The future is bright for Hurlburt, and football simply wasn't part of the equation anymore.
"I just got a ton of great opportunities. I guess I'm further along in my personal life than most are at this age, so that was a big part of deciding to retire. I'm at that point where I'm ready to take that next step, and I'm looking forward to it. It's an exciting time," he said.
Less than a week ago Hurlburt made his first appearance in a regular season game for the Griz, taking the field late against Cal Poly in a snow globe at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Some fans may not have noticed he was on the field, but everyone on the sideline and up in the press box sure did.
Working with 𝙉𝙊 𝙇𝙄𝙈𝙄𝙏𝙎#GoGriz pic.twitter.com/2SPKxgyPpu
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) July 2, 2021
After being at every practice, every early morning lift, and every cold winter workout, Hurlburt took the field to big cheers from his teammates, coaches, and those in the team's inner circle.
As the 2021 defensive scout team player of the year, taking the field was more than just a tip of the hat. It was a recognition for all those years of unsung hard work behind closed doors and beating the odds.
"Alex is a terrific guy," said head coach Bobby Hauck. "He's well-rounded, a good student, and accomplished on and off the field. He's popular with his teammates. He's a mature guy, got married this past year, and has a course set out for himself. He's really a guy that's admired by all his coaches and teammates, including me."
As his final days in a Grizzly uniform draw closer, he'll have that game to look back on as his moment in the spotlight.
"That game was honestly my second favorite game I've been a part of here. Obviously, the number one was the Griz/Cat game last year. That was by far the best, but Cal Poly was just a one-of-a-kind of environment," said Hurlburt.
"It was great. It was fun to get out there. People were excited for me. I was excited. It was great to get a couple reps and just be with some of those guys that I've played with for four years."
Linemen + Jugs Machine = Catch of the Year from @hurlburt_alex‼️ #GoGriz #GrizSpringGame pic.twitter.com/pUv6Fmbgx5
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) April 12, 2022
LEAVING A LEGACY
While he may not be in the record books at Montana for his heroics on the field, he most certainly will leave an impact beyond measure – both in Western Montana and around the country – for his heroics off the field.
In 2021 he used his platform as a Grizzly to inspire other kids with a physical disability, starting a mentorship with a third grader in Stevensville who grew up with much of his leg missing, and another with a youngster at Paxon Elementary in Missoula.
Later that year he received Montana Campus Compact Athletes in Service Award, recognizing student-athletes across the state who have dedicated their efforts to serving the community while also pursuing a college degree while participating in a sport.
In fact, throughout his time at UM, Hurlburt could be found lending a hand when needed, volunteering to help freshmen move into the dorms, helping out at the Missoula Food Bank, and joining the Neighbors Helping Neighbors leaf raking program in Missoula.
This past summer he took that drive to help nationwide, traveling to Illinois to coach at the NubAbility Athletics Foundation camp, a nonprofit that hots limb different sports camps for young athletes who are congenital, traumatic or medical amputees from around the world.
"The goal is to get these kids to come and play together and realize that they're not limited. That's something I didn't have as a kid, which would have helped me realize that I can play. That I can use my arm as an advantage. That's what we encourage these kids to do and we show them ways to do it. We coach them like any other kids. Sometimes we coach them even harder," said Hurlburt.
"It's something that was probably one of the funnest experiences I've ever had."
Now, as he gets ready to depart the football field, he says he'll be returning to NubAbility to help pass on his passion for athletics to the next generation for years to come.
Over the summer he even did fundraising in Missoula at a local department store to help raise scholarship money so other kids from Montana could take part.
"I ended up getting connected to someone here in Missoula whose son plays football and baseball. He has one hand and is very athletic. Reminds me a lot of myself as a kid. So hopefully we'll get him out to a camp this year and see if we can get some more Montana kids too."
Hurlburt made national headlines when he signed to play D-I football out of high school.
Keep an eye on him as he gets set to head out to the world after college, because he's likely to make more headlines for all the right reasons. Reasons that any Montana fan can be proud of.
"I don't think my time at Montana could have gone any better. I'm really happy with how everything turned out. School, football, being married and the people I've met and gotten to know. It just couldn't have been better," Hurlburt said.
"This was just the path that was given to me, and I wouldn't change that for the world."
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