Game Day Feature: Staying in the Mix

To say that Sam Mix went through trials and tribulations during his college football career would be an understatement.

But despite everything that's happened, the stabbing attack that could have taken his life and left him gravely injured; the four head coaches he has played under at Montana State University-Northern, plus all the other hardships every student-athlete goes through, Mix has never given up, and in the end, that perseverance has paid off, not just on the gridiron but in the classroom as well.

Now, precisely due to that toughness and mental fortitude, Mix is not only playing his fourth and final season for the Lights, he's going to walk away with a college degree this spring.

"I have seen it all, the ups and the downs," Mix said. "And all of that (football and graduating) means a lot to me. The biggest thing I think is that Northern gave me a chance to come back here when I left the school. I wasn't fit to play football or anything like that but they still took a chance on me and gave me the same money I was getting prior to what happened to me. So I am extremely grateful to Northern for that."

Mix was recruited to Northern by former head coach Mark Samson and after he left the program, Mix played the 2014 season under interim head coach Jake Eldridge, before Aaron Christensen coached the team from 2015-2017. Yet, Mix, who was viewed as an ascending player on the Lights after spring football in 2015, would have his life changed forever shortly after, on May 3, 2015, when he was attacked inside his home and stabbed 45 times.

Dealing with injuries all over his upper body, Mix left school. He went through multiple surgeries and started the rehab process. Doctor's said he would never play football again, but he didn't listen and on August 27, 2016, he returned to the field against Rocky Mountain College and caught the first pass thrown his way. He caught 17 passes during that 2016 season and followed it up by catching 17 more in 2017.

"I credit Northern and the town of Havre for my work ethic and being able to deal with adversity," Mix said. "And kind of knowing and having faith that everything happens for a reason and everything is going to work out. I pride myself on being a blue-collar guy, putting my head down and working. That may be a Montana thing, but it's definitely a Havre thing."

Getting back on the field was an accomplishment in its own right for Mix, but what helped make that 2016 season even more special, was the fact that Mix was on the field when the Lights upset Carroll College, which is still the last time MSU-N won a game against a Frontier Conference opponent, something Mix and all his teammates are hoping to change this Saturday, when they host the Saints inside Blue Pony Stadium.

"When we beat Carroll my sophomore year, that was definitely the best day I have had in my career at Northern," Mix said. "It was cool for the whole town of Havre. We proved it against Carroll before and I have a lot more confidence in the team we have now."

There have been a lot of positive things about Mix's comeback, but there have been negatives too, such as the fact that Northern has won just three games the past three seasons. Losing that much is never easy. It also makes keeping the love for the game, something that much harder and a for a time, Mix said he lost his, at least until Andrew Rolin arrived.

"I really value the new culture that this program has," Mix said. "Ever since I was a little kid in pee wee or whatever, I have never liked football as much as I do right now. There is an energy for sure. Our fall camp was wild from about 8 a.m. until 9 or 10 at night. With the old staff, we would just waiting for that 10 o'clock hour but with coach Rolin, I don't want to leave the school. We are always doing team-building stuff and fun things and that's how a culture is built. I see a lot of good things coming."

The results so far have been mixed for Northern and the Lights. There was the impressive win over Mayville State the opening week, followed by one-sided losses at the hands of Rocky Mountain College and Montana-Western the past two weeks. Yet, that hasn't dampened the spirit of Mix, who has always been a fighter and believes wholeheartedly that MSU-N is on the right track.

"I want us to be known as tough guys," Mix said of Northern. "We are the guys that have the grass practice field when everyone has turf. We want it to be known that Northern is a tough, blue-collar team and I think that's what we're building. It hasn't started the way we wanted, but I am still very confident this season and about the future of this program."

Nothing could jumpstart the Lights resurgence more than a win over arch-rival Carroll and for Mix, nothing would be more fitting.

"If there is one team to beat," Mix said. "It's Carroll."