Cat-Griz Game Day Feature: Kidder exemplifies the #37 tradition

When then graduated defensive Zach Wagenmann, Montana's all-time sack leader, told Caleb Kidder, a junior to be at the time, that he was going to wear the famed No. 37 jersey for the final two years of his career as a Grizzly, Kidder was stunned, and didn't know what to say.

"I was shocked. I was pretty surprised," Kidder said. "I didn't see it coming because we hang out on a regular basis since he's been back. It's pretty awesome."

Kidder may have been stunned and lost for words, but, he knew exactly what it meant to be given the number, passed on from one Montana-born defensive player to the next. And he's known exactly how to represent it ever since.

"I know he'll wear and represent that number well and everything that goes along with it," then Montana, now Montana State defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak said of Kidder back in the summer of 2015. "I believe Caleb can be a dominant force in this conference."

Turns out, Gregorak was dead on.

Kidder has not only represented the No. 37 legacy, which is a very big deal at Montana, in exactly the manner it's supposed to be, he's also become that dominant force in the conference, and all of the FCS, in a very unique way.

As a junior, Kidder wore No. 37 as a defensive tackle, earning First-Team All Big Sky honors with 82 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Recruited as a defensive end out of Helena, Kidder's rare combination of size and strength, with also excellent speed and agility made him a dynamic DT, where he played as a freshman, and had an impactful 40 stops as a backup in his sophomore season.

But, those were the days when he was playing alongside some of the greatest pass rushers in UM history, guys like Wagenmann and Tyrone Holmes. And when those guys left the program, Kidder's freak athleticism made him a natural fit to slide over to defensive end in Jason Semore's new, multiple-front defense – a defense where Kidder still plays DT from time to time, but also gets free rushes at the QB as well.

And without having ever played the position, Kidder was named a Preseason All-American and the Big Sky Preseason Defensive Player of the Year before the start of his senior season.

"He's a preseason All-American guy and we've been asking him to play like one," Semore said. "So far so good. He's an NFL guy, no doubt about it. With his size and speed and productivity. ... I think he's shown his versatility, which will allow him to be more attractive among different teams."

The NFL might just beckon for Kidder, like it did for former teammates like Holmes and Wagenmann among others. He's having another stout season, with 6.5 sacks and 11 TFLs, all while playing two positions fulltime.

But, what really matters to Kidder, as his last season at Montana winds down, is winning, and representing No. 37 in the manner it was entrusted to him. He takes both very seriously. On the field, he's intense and ferocious, and off it, he's a team captain who cares about his teammates and supports them in every way he can.

"That makes him a special dude because not everybody has that," said Semore. "Most guys play with the personality that they have. He approaches his business the right way and he's a good leader in that way."

And, doing things right is exactly what's expected out of anyone who wears the No. 37. Kidder will hand that jersey off to the next Montana player sometime this summer. But, while someone else will be wearing when the 2017 Cat-Griz game rolls around next November, Kidder will forever be part of the No. 37 legacy. But, with how great Kidder has been for Montana, he won't just be a part of the legacy, he's carved out his own time in that most special Montana tradition.

"Watching Montana (as a kid) and what they all represent, now it's my senior year and I'm in those shoes that I looked up to," he said. "It's a humbling experience."