Cat-Griz 2021: Dylan Cook's journey is what the Cat-Griz game is all about

The Cat-Griz rivalry is full of all kinds of success stories. Even several that are connected to Havre and the Hi-Line.

Yes, none of us will ever forget Marc Mariani's story or that of one of the area's greatest sporting legends, Mike Tilleman.

On Saturday in Missoula, there will be another connection between Havre and the Cat-Griz game, and it came by way of Montana State University-Northern, and before that, Butte, America.

And it's a story that I really admire.

Like any story, this one begins with a "Once Upon a Time" when Dylan Cook was a young high school football player making big plays in high school.

Cook had followed in the footsteps of his record-setting older brother at Butte High, by putting up big numbers himself. Then, as often happens, an injury got in the way, and Cook, a massively talented, and gifted athlete, standing 6-5 and weighing upwards of 250 pounds, found himself in college limbo.

Eventually though, Cook made his way to Montana State University-Northern, where he battled for a starting quarterback job for two years, while also playing long snapper.

During those years, Cook's immense talent, and his immense size was obvious. But, for whatever reason, Cook never settled in completely at Northern, and, ultimately, he chose to walk away from the Lights, and for a brief moment, from the game of football.

And that's where Dylan Cook's story took a completely different turn.

Cook had left the Lights' program just before the start of the 2018 season. As someone who had gotten to know him a little and had always hoped he'd make a huge impact on a struggling Northern program, I was pretty bummed that he left, and I thought that would be the last I would see or hear of him.

That however, changed pretty quickly.

Not more than a couple of months had passed I was standing in line at one of the concession stands at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, and bam, not only did I spot Dylan in the crowd, (he's not hard to miss), but he was wearing an authentic Griz game jersey with a lineman's number on it, and his name on the back. I thought, Dylan plays for the Griz?

So I found him and said Hi, and he explained to me that he had been given the opportunity by Griz' head coach Bobby Hauck to walk on to the football team, as an offensive lineman.

Most people would have thought: Huh? Quarterback to the Offensive Line? But remember, Dylan Cook is a large, large man, and so, I was not at all surprised.

Now I'll admit, as I found my wife in the crowd that day, and explained to her the encounter I just had, I also thought it would be a long shot that Dylan makes the transition, or becomes a star for the Grizzlies. After all, that's really hard. He had to get bigger, while keeping his athletic abilities, all the while learning a new position.

But in the end, that's exactly what Dylan did at Montana.

"It really comes down to the individual having the toughness and the want to get big and strong and play in the trenches because he certainly has the ability and the frame and all that, but it takes the personality and the want to, and he's got that," Hauck said to 406 Sports about Cook's transformation.

No doubt Dylan had the mentality too.

First off, walk-on stories like Mariani's or Colt Anderson's are pretty rare. Usually, stardom never comes. And then, Dylan was also walking on and trying to play a position he never played before. Let's just say, the odds were stacked against him.

But then, to not only do it, but to also earn a full-ride scholarship, then to earn a starting position, then put himself in position to be an All-American, and possibly play in the NFL, all things that are now on Cook's radar, well, that's the kind of stuff that eventually leads to movies getting made about you.

But that's what Dylan Cook has done at Montana. It really is a remarkable story. It's one of sheer perseverance, of toughness, and tenacity. It's a story of doing something he was probably told he couldn't do. And above all else, Dylan Cook's story is one of doing what he wanted to do with his life, of choosing his own path, of wanting something and going after it.

That's what life is all about, and it's a story we can all learn from.

I was very excited to cover Dylan when he played for the Lights. He was such an immense talent. Then, I was really excited to watch him play for the Griz.

Now though, I think the thing I'll cherish most about Dylan Cook is his story, and getting a chance to tell even a small part of it. Because Dylan Cook's story is special, it's positive and it's one that can teach life lessons.

And those are the best kinds of sports stories.