In the hot July sun, amid the smell of stale beer and a whiff of wildfire smoke, Clay Oven and his fellow Montana linebackers cleaned up empty cans and concert detritus from the stands at Washington-Grizzly Stadium the morning after a sold-out Post Malone concert.
While many in Missoula were nursing hangovers, the Grizzly 'backers went to work cleaning for a cause, raising money for a new service project the group spearheaded over the summer.
Oven and his teammates created "Linebackers in the House" to support families at the Ronald McDonald House Missoula, a charity that provides housing and food to families facing medical challenges at nearby Community Hospital.
The goal: Once a week, the group – some of the toughest players on the field – gathers at the Ronald McDonald House to be "Super Siblings," showing their softer side to kids whose families are going through hardship, while also raising funds for home-cooked meals for families in crisis.
"In a lot of the families we serve, the attention naturally goes to the sick child, and the siblings are left feeling unseen, unheard, and maybe being juggled from family member to family member. We trust the medical community is taking care of the sick child. It's really our role to take care of the rest of the family," said Amy Peterson, CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Missoula.
"Super Siblings provide one-on-one experiences and support for these families. The linebackers have been showing up on Wednesday evenings and they've played cornhole, they've pushed kids on the swings, they've played football, all sorts of things, just to help these kids feel extra special and allow families to escape some of the sadness or hardness.
"They also just have such a presence and they're always super professional. Mom is getting a little break while her kids are playing with the linebackers, and they look forward to it all day long. You can see the joy on their faces. I also just think it's so special we have young people wanting to do something so good, and it's the simplest thing."
"Linebackers in the House" started in June when Oven and teammates Peyton Wing and Justin Eklund approached UM academic adviser Helen Houlihan with the idea for a community service project – a small token of their gratitude to Griz Nation for all its support.
That seed blossomed into a full plan to raise funds and return to the Ronald McDonald House weekly throughout the coming season to hang out with kids and make meals whenever possible.
"When we first started, we just wanted to do a summer job. Then Clay said, hey, let's do something with children that need it. Something for people that are going through a lot," Eklund said.
"We're passionate about Griz giving back to the community. We want to put out a good image of the program, but more than that we want to help kids and families that need a little extra energy boost, that need something to brighten up their day." Clay Oven and Colton Lentz are Super Siblings
For Oven, a Billings native, three-time President's Award winner for the top GPA in Grizzly Athletics and the latest to wear Montana's legacy No. 37 jersey, it's a simple reflection of the support the team receives on the field.
"We wanted to find a way to give back to the community, knowing how much they do for us every week and the impact they have on gameday. We wouldn't be able to play in front of 27,000 people every weekend if everybody in Missoula wasn't bought in. Whether it's making a meal or playing with kids, it's an hour of our week, and it's the least we could do for the community," Oven said.
"We go in, play with the kids, who, a lot of the time, their families are in the NICU at the hospital all day. We know how much stress these families are going through, so, if we're able to help with that, just playing around with the kids and getting out in the sun, tiring them out, it's been a really great experience and a ton of fun."
So far, the Super Siblings have been in every week since mid-June, and plan to keep that schedule even as fall camp and the 2026 season ramp up. They've created social media posts to help the program gain traction, and a Venmo account to help collect funds that will go straight to buying meals for the families.
"I think our overall goal is to help raise enough money to host a dinner once a month. These families are so busy with the babies at the NICU, they don't really have time to cook or might not be eating great meals. So, if we can help with that stress a little bit, that's kind of our main goal," Oven added.
Even with their busy schedules, the time this group of football players has invested in giving back to the Missoula community has already paid dividends.
"I think it's a huge honor to be able to come do this," said Wing, who has earned several preseason All-America honors.
"Football is our life, but there is so much happening outside of football. These kids and families are going through a lot, and to come hang out with them for a few hours a week is pretty special. I know it makes the guys grateful for the opportunity, because these families are going through more than you can imagine. Every time we're here, it puts a smile on their faces. That's special, and an honor."
As inspirational as it might be for a youngster to hang out with Montana football stars for the afternoon, for the Griz, it's just as moving to make a small impact on someone's life.
"It's been an amazing thing. It's definitely eye-opening," Eklund added.
"I come from a great family without a lot of hardship, but you see these kids and families going through a lot, and it puts a smile on my face to come here and play football, play catch, cornhole, it's really inspiring. Just as much as we're inspiring them, they're inspiring us every time we come here."
To help donate to the linebackers' cause, scan the QR code on the graphic below, or find Clay Oven, Justin Eklund, and Peyton Wing on social media.
