BUTTE — It has been known for a while that the Montana high school football Gatorade player of the year and Butte High senior Tommy Mellott would be a Montana State Bobcat football player come fall of 2020.
But on early signing day Wednesday Mellott made it official, putting ink to paper to solidify his choice to join Jeff Choate's program. Surrounded by his friends, coaches and teachers in the Butte High gym, the Bulldog senior looked on at the sheer number of people who came out to support him. As his family sat at the table with him during the signing process he couldn't help but reflect on all they've done for him leading up to this big moment.
"They've supported me throughout my entire life. They've sacrificed a lot for me. All those days I couldn't drive, they got me to where I needed to be to go and compete and get better," said Mellott. "They've supported me through the ups and downs, and I couldn't be more thankful for each and every single one of them."
Mellott joins the MSU program at the perfect time. The Bobcats have qualified for the FCS playoffs two consecutive seasons and now have a shot at a national championship game berth with Saturday's game against top-ranked North Dakota State. The Butte senior can't wait to take his talent to Bozeman and get to work come fall camp 2020.
“Business is booming over in Bozeman. You got the academics portion of it, too, but then also the football team is really doing great right now," Mellott added. "So, I mean, you’re walking into a program that has really high culture values, and I think I can contribute and I think that I can learn a lot from them. So I’m really excited for the opportunity.”
