On the field, they gave us a heck of a lot to cheer about in 2023.

Off the field, they are about to embark on an annual campaign that is even more inspiring and worth cheering about. And the results they've achieved over the past few years have been pretty remarkable.

GET IN THE GAME REGISTRY

University of Montana Sports Information Director Eric Taber tells us that the Montana Grizzly football team will once again do its part to help save lives by rallying the University of Montana and Missoula communities to join the National Marrow Donor Program's (NMDP) "Get in the Game" registry. The program got started with a mission of finding   potential donors and connecting them with patients in need around the nation.

The Griz will hold their fourth registration drive in the University Center and around the Oval on Thursday, April 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

AMAZING RESULTS

To say these athletes are persuasive salesmen would be a massive understatement when it comes to this campaign. Since joining the program in 2019, Montana has already helped register over 800 members of the UM campus community, shattering the team's goal of 70 new signups each year. What makes the project even more heartwarming is that out of those registrants, Montana has had five donors selected to help save a life.

During the registration drive the team will be wearing their Griz jerseys and encourage  fellow UM students and campus community members to Get in the Game and join the NMDP donor registry to potentially become a lifesaving donor.

Montana Grizzlies
Image courtesy of U of Montana Sports Information
loading...

GRIZ HISTORY WITH THE MARROW DONOR PROGRAM

Eric Taber reminded us that In 2013 Grizzly running back coach and former Griz star player Justin Green joined the registry and helped save the life of a nine-year-old girl by donating blood platelets. Also former Grizzly wide receiver Ryan Burke helped save a life by donating bone marrow in 2014 after matching with a patient in need.

And the head guy, Coach Bobby Hauck was honored for Montana's involvement in the program last month at the prestigious Maxwell Football Club National Awards Gala with the Get in the Game Impact Award.

Congratulations to the Griz for all they've done so far to Get in the Game, and we know we can count on them to give it their all to make it another spectacular drive!

30 famous people you might not know were college athletes

Stacker dug deep to find 30 celebrities who were previously college athletes. There are musicians, politicians, actors, writers, and reality TV stars. For some, an athletic career was a real, promising possibility that ultimately faded away due to injury or an alternate calling. Others scrapped their way onto a team and simply played for fun and the love of the sport. Read on to find out if your favorite actor, singer, or politician once sported a university jersey.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

LOOK: Major US city skylines in photos, then and now

Stacker consulted photo archives and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat to see how 15 U.S. city skylines evolved in the past century.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

 

More From 96.3 The Blaze