George Ferguson Column: A class defined by its character

Senior day for any college football team is special. It's a time to stand up in front of family, friends and teammates and be honored for hard work, dedication, unselfishness and all the accomplishments that come with being a football player. It's a time to be honored for giving of one's self for four, five and even six years.

And all of that is true when it comes to the 15 Montana State University-Northern seniors who will be honored before Saturday's season finale against the College of Idaho at Blue Pony Stadium. And yet, this isn't just any senior day, this one has so much more to it.

These Lights, many of them, have endured perhaps the most trying times in Northern football history. These Lights, the one's who will play their final collegiate game on Saturday, have went through more than they ever possibly thought they would when they signed a letter of intent to come to MSU-N out of high school, or for some, junior college.

And much of what these Lights have gone through has been hard, difficult, frustrating and disappointing. Coaching changes, uncertainty, injuries, seeing teammates leave them, and of course, difficult losses that have piled up over the years.

Yes, it's safe to say, these Northern seniors have seen more tough days than good ones. And yet, here they all are. They're still here. They are still, after all they've gone through, giving of themselves, sacrificing for the team, putting their bodies through hell and back, and still competing.

Watching what these Northern seniors have gone through the last four seasons, I don't think I could possibly have admired a group of football players, a group of young men more than I do this group. What they've stood for, what they continue to stand for, and what they've done for Northern football, it is been an honor and a privilege to watch them, to cover their games and to write stories about them.

And every one of these seniors, to a man, stands for something that still makes college football so special, they stand for each other. They believe in, and are about the team, and most importantly, they all put the name on the front of their jersey ahead of the name on the back of it. Honestly, that isn't always the case in the world of collegiate athletics, but, listening to this group talk, it's easy to see that they still embody that true team spirt. They embody the brotherhood that is college football.

"That's one of the best things about this whole experience," senior defensive end Jordan Brusio said. "The bonds you form with your teammates. When you have those bonds, that support from your teammates, you feel like you can get through anything.

"It's a testament to all of our seniors that we're here," offensive lineman Pete Morales said. "We come to work hard every day and we play hard every game, and we do it together. We believe in each other.

"That's what I'm going to remember the most," Tyler Craig added. "All the guys I've played with. All the seniors this year, we stuck this out together, and finished what we started together. Those guys are by best friends, and I'm proud we're finishing our career together."

And Northern, Havre, your family, friends and anyone else associated with the Lights is proud of all of you too. Again, this Northern senior class embodies what it really means to be a college football. They embody playing for something more important than themselves. And, they teach lessons too. They show younger generations what it means to honor a commitment to something. They show kids what it means to care about their teammates, and in football, they show players what it means to work hard, regardless of the payoff.

College football is never easy. But, it's been unusually hard on cruel on this group of MSU-N seniors. And that's why, the fact that they will be standing at the center of the field inside Blue Pony Stadium on Saturday afternoon, for their final game, is something they should hold their heads high about. It's something they should be proud of for the rest of their lives.

I know, the fact that this senior group made it to senior day, that's something I will always admire, and I'll always remember what an honor and a privilege it was to be a small part of this group.

So congratulations and thank you to Zach McKinley, Tyler Craig, Mario Gobbato, Jordan Brusio, Pete Morales, Garrett Jerricoff, Pat Barnett, Lane Urick, Dillon Barnes, Caleb McLaren, Diamond Pedro, Adolfo Robles, Austin Rychner, Logan Sprouse and Jamie Toscano.

Saturday is your day. And you've all earned it.