An address from a former first-round NFL quarterback turned advocate for mental health and addiction issues will be among the highlights at the Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff Weekend later this month in Spokane, Washington.
Northern Colorado football coach Ed Lamb and players Hunter Green and Sam Iongi-Amituanai will represent the Bears program July 20-22 at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Spokane. Coaches and players from all 12 Big Sky programs are scheduled to attend.
Media day on Monday, July 22 will air on ESPN+.
Ryan Leaf, a Montana native and former No. 2 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Washington State, will be the special guest speaker Sunday, July 21. Leaf will address athletes and others at the pre-season weekend about his past and lessons from his experiences, according to a Big Sky news release.
Leaf was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the second pick in 1998 — behind Peyton Manning, who went first to the Indianapolis Colts. Manning played 18 seasons, was a five-time league MVP, a seven-time first-team All-Pro selection and a 14-time Pro Bowl pick. He also won two Super Bowls and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Leaf played four years in the NFL, but his career was shortened by injuries and self-imposed problems. He has since been labeled as a bust by pundits and experts. In a podcast last month, Leaf said his NFL career was over after three games because of money and his attitude.
Leaf, though, transformed his post-football life and has used his platforms to speak openly about his run-ins with the law that led to incarceration, as well as his issues with addiction and mental health. Leaf is currently a college football analyst and a radio host, and he’s active on social media in addition to being a motivational speaker, according to his website, theryandleaf.com.
Montana is the defending Big Sky Conference champion. The Grizzlies (7-1 Big Sky, 13-2 overall last year) were one of four conference teams to qualify for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The others were Idaho, Montana State and Sacramento State. Montana lost to South Dakota State 23-3 in the FCS title game in January.
UNC will try to bounce back this season after an 0-11 record in Lamb’s first season in 2023.
Green, a punter and placekicker, was the Bears’ most-honored player last season. A redshirt sophom*ore from Redmond, Washington, near Seattle, Green was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award — which is given to the top freshman at the FCS level.
Green led the Big Sky with 2,968 total punting yards and in punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line with 21. He had a punt of 70 yards against Incarnate Word, which tied for the longest punt in the Big Sky last year. Green converted 9 of 12 field goals including a 50 yard, and he made 16 extra points. He was named to the conference honorable mention team last fall.
Green was the only UNC player nominated by the school for consideration on the all-Big Sky Conference pre-season team.
Iongi-Amituanai is a senior defensive lineman from American Samoa, according to the Bears’ 2024 roster. He played in 11 games last year and had 37 tackles with 2 1/2 tackles for a loss and a sack.
The conference’s kickoff weekend will include information on how athletes may leverage Name, Image and Likeness opportunities with a representative from a company called INFLCR, pronounced “influencer.” Big Sky schools have a contract with INFLCR to run an operating system to connect athletes with business opportunities, UNC athletic director Darren Dunn said late last year.
Excited to get back home to the inland Northwest and get a chance to be of service to one of the best conferences in the business!! Thanks to @jon_kasper for making it happen!! https://t.co/mSNmbgqYBp
— Ryan D Leaf (@RyanDLeaf) July 9, 2024
The conference will host its annual free youth football clinic from 3-4 p.m. Mountain Time Saturday, July 20 at North Central High in Spokane. Big Sky players will serve as instructors at the clinic, and the athletes will later host an autograph session. The clinic is open to children in eighth grade and younger.
The conference’s Hall of Fame Gala will be held at 7:30 p.m. MT Saturday at the casino.
The inductees this year are:
- Natalie Doma, women’s basketball, Idaho State, 2004-08
- Lindsay Haupt, volleyball, Sacramento State, 2004-07
- Sonny Holland, head football coach, Montana State, 1971-77
- Bill Kollar, football, Montana State, 1971-73
- Orlando Lightfoot, men’s basketball, Idaho, 1991-94
- Erik Meyer, football, Eastern Washington, 2002-05
- Dick Motta, head men’s basketball coach, Weber State, 1960-68
- Don Read, head football coach, Montana, 1986-95.
Motta oversaw Weber State’s transition to Division I in the early 1960s. He coached the then-named Washington Bullets to the NBA championship in 1978.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame Gala are $80 and are available at BigSkyConf.com/HOF.
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