BILLINGS — Montana State offensive lineman Marcus Wehr began to blossom at Saint Francis Catholic School before helping Billings Central to the Class A state football championship as a senior in 2018.
But Wehr's peers have long known that he's been a different kind of beast.
"The first football memory I have of Marcus was a tackling drill where it was old-school. They lined us both up and you ran straight at each other and hit each other," former Carroll College running back and Billings Central teammate Duncan Kraft told MTN Sports.
"I remember trying to tackle Marcus. Believe it or not, I was actually bigger than him at the time, but he still hit so hard that he flat-backed me. I remember thinking, 'Wow. That's my welcome-to-football moment.'"
Wehr spent time at MSU on the defensive side of the ball before moving to — and flourishing along — the offensive line. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Wehr has played right guard this season after transitioning from his previous position of right tackle.
Wehr is considered one of the top offensive players in both the Big Sky Conference and the Division I FCS level.
His former high school teammates remember Wehr beginning to separate himself from the pack in high school when his habits weren't that of a normal teenager.
"A lot of guys loved football and they lifted hard and worked hard at practice, but Marcus watched film a lot more than most everybody else, and he actually cared about what he ate, which is really rare for a high school dude," Kraft said.
"Marcus and his mom ... it's so funny, because his mom is a great lady. She'd always talk about how she would have to cook like four or five steaks a day and he'd be eating that," ex-Montana Tech hooper and former Central teammate Sam Gray said.
"I'd be sitting there like, 'Dude, how are you eating that, let alone continuing to work out and all this extra stuff?' The eating was definitely very impressive. He'd be eating your typical peanut butter and jelly between class periods."
Wehr, a right guard and now a two-time All-American with the Bobcats, isn't likely to be finished with his football career following the FCS national championship game against North Dakota State on Jan. 6.
He has accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 30. His long list of accomplishments is no surprise to those who grew up with him.
"Just how he'd go about his business, it was with a professional manner. It was very admirable and it's something you can apply to football or your everyday life and your job," Gray said. "He's super serious on the field, but he's a big goofball. He still cares about his people."
Wehr hopes he adds national champion to that resume next week.
