The 5 Best Montana State NFL Players of All Time

Jan Stenerud arrived in Bozeman from Norway on a ski-jumping scholarship, an unusual starting point for a future football kicker. His path changed after he was discovered kicking field goals in an empty stadium. At Montana State, his long-distance kicking became the defining feature of his football contribution. His professional career eventually brought him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Montana State’s importance lies in that transition from another sport to a consequential football role. Stenerud’s ranking is not built around a supplied season total or college award; it rests on the distinctive kicking ability that emerged with the Bobcats. His Hall of Fame career gives that college beginning added significance, but the school’s contribution deserves attention in its own right.

Troy Andersen’s Montana State career crossed positional boundaries: he played quarterback, running back and linebacker for the Bobcats. His offensive production included a season with 21 rushing touchdowns, while his defensive résumé included a 147-tackle season. Those accomplishments show substantial contributions on both sides of the ball. Atlanta selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Andersen belongs in this ranking as a linebacker whose college value extended well beyond that position. His rushing and tackling peaks represent different forms of production, not interchangeable measures of success. Together, they make a compelling school-specific argument: Montana State benefited from him in multiple major roles. His versatility matters because it came with tangible results, rather than simply a long list of positions played.

Bill Kollar earned All-American recognition as a Montana State defensive tackle in the early 1970s. His college impact came from disruption inside, including the ability to collapse passing pockets from the interior of the defensive line. That work established his standing in the Big Sky before Cincinnati selected him in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft.

For the Bobcats, Kollar’s ranking rests on nationally recognized performance at a position whose influence is not fully captured by headline scoring numbers. His interior pressure supplies the football substance behind the honor. The case is therefore about the quality of his college play rather than an unsupported statistical comparison across eras. His first-round selection complements that argument, but the All-American recognition remains its collegiate anchor.

Dane Fletcher earned All-American honors at Montana State and built his defensive résumé with tackles for loss. He was a leader on a Bobcat defense that played an important role in close Big Sky games, combining individual disruption with broader unit responsibility. After going undrafted, he made the Patriots’ roster and went on to play six NFL seasons.

His place among Montana State’s notable professional players begins with that college defensive impact. Tackles behind the line provide a concrete basis for describing his contribution, while All-American recognition places it in a national context. Leadership adds another element without replacing the on-field evidence. The ranking argument is broader than one isolated highlight: it combines disruptive production, recognition and a meaningful role in the Bobcats’ defense.

Mike Person gave Montana State versatility along the offensive line, playing multiple positions and earning All-Big Sky recognition twice. His technically sound blocking was the foundation of that college résumé, with the repeated conference honors providing a clear marker of sustained performance. San Francisco drafted him in 2011, and he later started on a Super Bowl offense.

Person’s ranking is supported more by continuity and adaptability than by a single celebrated season. Recognition in multiple years matters for an offensive lineman because it establishes a record beyond one brief peak. His ability to contribute at different spots also broadens the value he brought the Bobcats. The later professional achievement is notable, but his college case stands on repeated honors and useful positional range.