The son of an old friend was among the first names that popped into Jeff Choate’s head when he was first hired as Montana State’s head football coach.
Choate played his college football at Montana Western before a devastating car accident abruptly ended the linebacker’s career in the early 1990s. During his time in Dillon, Choate played with Art Roper, who has gone on to become one of Idaho’s most revered high school offensive line coaches at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian right outside of Boise.
When Choate landed his first head coaching job at MSU in December of 2015, he instantly thought of Roper and his son, Jake, a stud running back for the Grizzlies. Choate immediately reached out to his old friend and wanted to offer Jake a scholarship. When Choate began to dig into his roster three weeks after his hiring — Choate stayed on staff through December to help coach Washington through its 2015 bowl game — MSU’s new head coach quickly realized his backfield was overcrowded.
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Photos by noted – Brooks and Colter Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
