Cat-Griz Game Day: He's got his own legacy now

When it comes to football in the Treasure State, his last name says it all - Bignell. That's a famous name when it comes to gridiron success in Montana.

So it's no wonder Montana State senior linebacker Mac Bignell is one of the best at what he does in the Big Sky Conference, ahead of his final game in Bobcat Stadium. And that game, for a guy like Bignell, will mean everything, because it's against the Montana Grizzlies.

And while Bignell certainly has a famous last name when it comes to Montana high school and Montana State football prowess, and he hails from one of the most successful Class C program's in Montana history, it didn't mean Bignell was automatically going to be star when he arrived in Bozeman.

In fact, it was just opposite. Bignell had to work to get there, starting out as a walk-on. But, as he readies to play the Grizzlies one last time, he's arrived. After a brilliant four-year run, Bignell has simply become one of the best linebackers the Bobcats have ever had.

"I told Mac he's playing at as high of a level as I've ever got to coach from a linebacker," MSU defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak said earlier this season. "He's like a man possessed. He is playing really, really good football right now."

No question. When all is said and done, Bignell will be a Big Sky All-Conference performer for the third straight season, and likely an FCS All-American for a second time. Not bad for a Class C kid out of Drummond, where things were decidedly different than the Big Sky.

"Just getting used to 11 guys would be one of the biggest (challenges)," Bignell said. "Learning the terminology was all different to me. Then again, football is football in the end."

But making the transition from 8-man football, to playing at the highest level of NCAA football wasn't the only challenge for Bignell on his rise to stardom.

Bignell was born with mild hearing loss, which makes communication on the football field a little more difficult. But, like so many other challenges over the years, Bignell has never let that one stand in his way.

"When I was younger, my hearing aids - they weren't really hearing aids at the time - but it was a big old headset and then the teacher had a microphone so I could hear the teacher," he said during a 2016 interview. "I'm not a guy who likes to stand out from the crowd. Other than that I never really had a problem. I grew up in a small town and we're basically a family in a small town so nobody gave me too hard of a time for it.

"In Class C football I would always go to the coaches on the sideline and they would tell me the plays so I was pretty much face-to-face. It really didn't affect me there," Bignell continued. "Here we do everything by signal so during games I'm not really affected by my hearing, but where it does bother me is in school, not hearing all the information. My biggest thing is not being able to write notes in class because if I'm looking down I'm not able to read his lips. The challenges are there but I've faced them my whole life so I'm used to them."

Consider any challenge Bignell has faced completely overcome at this point.

As a red-shirt freshman in 2014, Bignell was a special team's standout for the Bobcats, but, by the time his sophomore year rolled around, he found himself in the starting lineup at Mike LB, a position he's since left to play on the outside.

In 2015, Bignell led the Big Sky in solo tackles and earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors. As a junior, he exploded, racking up 101 tackles and 20.5 tackles for loss, which was tops in the Big Sky on his way to All-Conference and All-American honors. In his final campaign with MSU, Bignell has 89 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, even while constantly being double-teamed because of his defensive prowess. He has already set the MSU all-time record for forced fumbles and will finish his incredible career with over 300 tackles.

"He's just got a great feel for the game," MSU head coach Jeff Choate said of Bignell. "He's a natural football player. He's not the biggest guy, he's not the fastest guy and he's not the strongest guy, but he's got great instincts, a great feel for the game with great body position and he does a really, really nice job."

In other words, Bignell is simply one of the best to ever suit up at Montana State. And that family name mentioned earlier - his father Joe being an All-American tight end at MSU, his brother Nate having a great career at MSU and his cousins Clay and Brian also having one-time starring roles on the MSU defense - it doesn't matter, Mac has carved out his own Bignell legacy in Bozeman.

And it's been more than just a job or a collegiate experience for Bignell at MSU. It's been a way of life that started when he was just a little boy. Whether it was the Cat-Griz rivalry, or his family name, Bignell has always been a Bobcat. He's always been part of a legacy, and, while it will be over after he plays the Grizzlies on more time, it's a legacy that will last a lifetime.

After all, it's in his name, and it's in his blood.

"I didn't create the legacy, but it's my job to uphold it," Bignell said of his last name being so synonymous with MSU football.

"Not many people get to say they play for the team they've truly loved their whole life," he added. "When I was a kid I was at Avon school from K through 8 and we'd divvy up sides for playground football (based on) Cats vs. Griz. All the Bignells, my brothers and cousins, would be on the same team, the Cats, and we always stomped them (Griz). So it's great (playing for MSU). It's truly an honor."