MISSOULA -- On Saturday night, the fourth through seventh rounds of the NFL Draft came and went with Dante Olson's name failing to appear. However, the former Montana linebacker's talents didn't go undiscovered for long.
Olson will sign a undrafted free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, a source confirmed to MTN Sports.
In his senior season at Montana, Olson racked up 179 total tackles, the most in the FCS for the second straight season. After finishing third in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award in his junior season, Olson captured the honor in his final year.
"We are very proud of Dante and all he's accomplished on and off the field during his time at Montana," Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said in a media release. "He's got what it takes to be an NFL player, and we are all excited to see his career continue at the next level."
According to the University of Montana, this is every individual record broken or award received by Olson in 2019:
- Buck Buchanan Award Winner (FCS Defensive Player of the Year)
- FCS ADA Defensive Player of the Year
- Walter Camp All-American
- AFCA First-Team All-American
- STATS FCS First-Team All-American
- FCS ADA All-American
- Associated Press First-Team All-American
- HERO Sports First-Team All-American
- Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year
- First-Team All-Big Sky Defense
- Phil Steele Magazine Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year
- Phil Steele Magazine First-Team All-Big Sky Defense
- Montana's Steve Carlson Award for Team MVP
- Montana Defensive Team MVP
- Golden Helmet Award Winner (Team’s Hardest Hitter)
- 179 total tackles in 2019 (76 solo):
- The most total tackles in FCS football for a second-straight season.
- A new Big Sky Conference record for most single-season tackles
- Broke the Montana school record he set as a junior (151)
- Became Montana's all-time leading tackler with 397 career stops, breaking Vince Huntsberger's 2001 record of 393.
- Posted double-digit tackle totals in 10 of Montana’s 14 games
- Had a season-high 18 tackles in two games, Posted game-high 14 tackles (10 solo) against Oregon Ducks
- National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete & William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist
- CoSIDA Academic All-American
- CoSIDA Academic All-District
- Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Member
- Butkus Award Preseason Watch List (Only FCS Player on the list)
- Phil Steele Magazine Preseason All-America First Team
- Phil Steele Magazine Preseason All-Big Sky First Team
- Big Sky Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
- STATS FCS Preseason All-American
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-American
- HERO Sports Preseason All-American
- College Football America Yearbook Preseason Starting Lineup
- NFF Hampshire Honor Society
Former Montana State Bobcats Bryce Sterk and Travis Jonsen are set to sign undrafted free agent contracts, as well. Sterk will join the Miami Dolphins and Jonsen will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
