Page 21 - Flathead Beacon // 12.25.13

BEACON SPECIAL FEATURE | 21

Notable NFL Players
would have it, the Colts went with Manning and San DOUG BETTERS
Diego took Leaf with the No. 2 overall pick in the Betters (pictured below) is a long-time Whiteish
with Montana Ties
1998 NFL Draft. Leaf’s career famously izzled out resident who organizes the annual Whiteish
from there, lasting only four seasons and leading Winter Classic, which he founded in 1984 as a
to a tragic downfall of the ield. He pleaded guilty fundraiser for local children in need of medical
last year to burglary and criminal possession
care. Born in Nebraska, Betters was a two-time
JOHN ELWAY
of dangerous drugs and is serving a ive-year All-American defensive lineman at the University
program. As legend goes, Elway dominated right sentence at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge.
of Montana in 1975-76. The Miami Dolphins
It’s somewhat unknown that one of the greatest away, scoring four touchdowns in the irst half
TIM HAUCK
drafted him in the sixth-round of the 1978 NFL
quarterbacks of all-time got his start playing
of his irst game. It was during these formative draft. As a member of the famed “Killer
in Big Sky Country. Elway’s father, Jack, was
years that the future Hall of Famer developed a Hauck was an all-state quarterback and defensive B’s” defense, Betters helped Miami win
a journeyman football coach and moved his passion for sports and set his life on the course back at Sweet Grass High School in Big Timber ive AFC East titles and appear in two
young family across the West pursuing jobs. This he eventually followed to the summit of the NFL. and an All-American at the University of Montana. Super Bowls, in 1983 and 1985. He
included a stint at the University of Montana as
Elway’s connection to the Treasure State would be He played safety in the NFL for 13 seasons, was named All-Pro twice and won
more distinct today had his family not moved yet retiring in 2002.
the 1983 Defensive Player of the Year an assistant from 1967-1973.
again. Jack uprooted the family twice more during JAN STENERUD
award.
John was 10 years old and a
John’s teenage years before landing in California, fourth grader in Missoula
where John attended high school and college.
Born in Norway, Stenerud attended Montana State when he picked up
By his early 20s, the Stanford quarterback was University on a ski jumping scholarship but quickly the sport for the irst
one of the best in the nation. The Baltimore Colts developed a knack for kicking ield goals. He time, joining the
selected the 23-year-old with the No. 1 overall pick helped revolutionize the game by becoming one of Little Grizzlies junior
in the 1983 NFL draft but traded him to Denver the irst professional football players used solely
after he expressed disinterest in the franchise. as a kicker. He played professionally for 19 years,
Elway played his entire 16-year career for the winning a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs
Broncos, leading the team to ive Super Bowls, in 1969, and remains one of only three kickers
winning two, and transforming the franchise into inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
one of the league’s premier organizations.
PAT DONOVAN
RYAN LEAF
The Helena native was named the fourth greatest
Fifteen years ago, the hot debate was whether the Indianapolis Colts should draft Ryan Leaf, a Great Montana athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated after enjoying a nine-year career
Falls native who quarterbacked Washington State with the Dallas Cowboys, earning four Pro Bowl
University to the Rose Bowl, or Tennessee’s All- appearances and helping Dallas win the Super
American signal caller, Peyton Manning. As fate
Bowl in 1976.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY MONTANA PROS:
Marc Mariani, Havre Tony Hintz, Great Falls
Shane Collins, Bozeman Corey Widmer, Bozeman
Mitch Donahue, Billings Casey FitzSimmons, Chester Mike Tilleman, Chinook Kroy Biermann, Hardin
Dwan Edwards, Columbus Bobby Petrino, Helena
(Wild) Bill Kelly, Missoula Dan Carpenter, Helena
Pat Foster, Savage
Colt Anderson, Butte
Shann Schillinger, Baker
Lex Hilliard, Kalispell
Dane Fletcher, Bozeman
COURTESY MIAMI DOLPHINS
COURTESY DENVER BRONCOS

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