Out of the darkness

A week ago, the University of Montana football team held its annual spring football game at Hamilton High School to cap off its spring season. Many underclassmen got on the field to provide a glimpse into the future of the Griz.

One of those young players was Havre's own Kellen Detrick, who is wrapping up his first year in the program as a redshirt-freshman. Detrick did not get to play for the Griz last fall, so getting back on the field this spring was his first time in pads since his last high school game in 2020.

"It was a blast," Detrick said about playing in the spring game. "Getting back out there, playing the game that I love, it was a great experience because I kind of forgot what it was like to get out there and play again. It was great to be able to have that opportunity."

The spring game was a positive end to Detrick's first year in the program. During that time, he encountered many highs and lows. In practice last fall, Detrick fractured his tibia and tore some tendons in his knee. It was the first major injury of his football career, so not getting to even practice through the season was a lot for him to handle.

"When I first got that news about what happened to my knee, I was in a really dark place," Detrick said. "It was a really tough time for me, but to be able to climb up out of that and get healthy meant a lot to me."

Detrick was able to recover thanks to the help of the team's training room. He was even able to get back on the practice field the last couple weeks of the season to work with his teammates as the Griz experienced some exciting times, including their thrilling wins over Montana State in the Brawl of the Wild and Eastern Washington in the FCS playoffs.

But, along with the injury last fall, Detrick had to deal with the adversity of moving from Class A high school football to the FCS level of competition. In high school, he was an All-State player for the Blue Ponies. But at UM, he found himself surrounded by the best athletes in the state.

"It's a little bit tough to go from the top of the totem pole in high school and then you get up (to college) and everybody is a superstar," Detrick said. "It's tough going from the bottom and trying to climb up out of that hole but it's also a great experience and it was very humbling."

Detrick remembers his first practice with the Griz at the beginning of fall camp in early August. He felt nervous and he was afraid to make mistakes. It was also a long and hot day near the end of summer as he and the Griz practiced through the heat. While it was a demanding experience, Detrick knows it will help him become a better player.

"It kind of just smacked me in the face and I was like, 'Wow, this is tough and this is a lot different,'" Detrick said. "Playing at the University of Montana, it's a very tough place to play but it really makes you tough and turns you into a man."

It was also tough not getting to play for a whole season as a redshirt freshman. However, Detrick used his time on the sideline to learn more about the program and he learned what it means to play football for the Griz.

"When you're sitting in the stands and you see so many other people having success, you see the team having success, you see 30,000 people screaming and you can't hear yourself think, you want to be a part of that," Detrick said of the red-shirt experience where the players sit in the stands just behind the Griz bench. "You want to get out there and make an impact and do anything you can to help the team so I really think that really helped me and it made me a lot hungrier for next fall."

Detrick has also had to adjust to college life while playing football for the school. Football is littered throughout his day, starting with lifting at 5 a.m. But he and the rest of his team are required to get eight hours of study hall a week. Detrick devoted two hours a day to studying but he is thankful for all the assistance he and the other players get.

He has also had to deal with the move from Havre to the city of Missoula. Some of the first things he had to deal with was the heavier traffic and not knowing anyone in town. As he has gotten to know people, he has learned there are great people in Missoula. But he is still experiencing culture shock.

"Sometimes I'd catch myself driving and waving at everybody when I drive because I'm so used to doing that because everybody does that up here on the Hi-Line," Detrick said. "I'm still getting used to it. It's a lot different than Havre because it's a different culture."

He has found ways to remind himself of home while down in Missoula. He was a big outdoorsman back in Havre, so he was thankful to find some teammates that helped him find some spots in the area to sneak away from city life. However, it has not prevented him from missing home.

"I miss my family, my friends and the culture of Havre," Detrick said. "I miss the people. The people in Havre are so great and they've always been so great to me."

Detrick finally got to put the pads on for the Griz with the spring game. Detrick's unit, the defensive line, had a stellar game with several sacks and passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Detrick himself had several quarterback hurries. As he finally got to see what it is like to play college football, Detrick believes it will help him down the line.

"It was a lot faster than what I've experienced before," Detrick said. "It was great to be able to get that game experience and hopefully it will get me ready for next year."

With spring ball now in the rearview mirror, Detrick and the Griz begin to look toward the 2022 fall season. After completing fall camp, winter conditioning and spring ball, Detrick feels confident that he will be prepared for when he finally gets on the football field.

"Now that I know what is coming up, I feel like I'm just more prepared and experienced," Detrick said. "I'm not second guessing myself on what's going to happen because I already know."

This fall, he will be competing for playing time as a defensive end on the defensive line as well as special teams. He will be working toward that goal this offseason as he will participate in player-run practices, conditioning, speed training and lifting. Even after everything he had to work through his redshirt freshman year, Detrick still has plenty of work to do if he wants to get on the field.

"When I first decided to play college football, I knew it was going to be a job and I knew it was going to be tough, but then I quickly learned when you get up here, it's more than tough and it's more than a full-time job," Detrick said. "You got to use every inch of your body and every inch of mental toughness to really grind through it."