Column: From Rawson to the Grizzlies' Hall of Fame

Dylan McFarland confirmed that he was in Washington-Grizzly Stadium Saturday, watching Weber State prevail over his alma mater 55-48, and he is surprised as anybody that it was the Wildcats’ fifth win in six games against the Griz.

“I never lost to Weber,” he said Thursday. “I didn’t even know that was a thing.” 

The 1999 Flathead graduate was remembering one game against Weber in particular: an 81-22 win in 1999, a contest that McFarland a) started as a true freshman and b) exited with a broken ankle. 

“Every time we touched the ball, we housed it,” he said. 

By the next season, McFarland was the Grizzlies’ starting left tackle. Then in 2001 the entire offensive line was from Montana — from McFarland to Whitefish’s Thatcher Szalay to Brian Pelc, Derek Decker and Jon Skinner — and the Griz went 15-1, winning the program’s second national championship. 

Which brings us back to Saturday: McFarland was an invited guest of the Grizzlies, who inducted him into their athletic Hall of Fame the night before. 

He recalled the day his phone rang at work — he is an attorney at McFarland, Molloy and Duerk —  and it was Montana athletic director Kent Haslam at the other end. “I just gave you money,” McFarland thought, but when he picked up Haslam said, “This is the best part of my job...” 

“I never set that as a goal,” McFarland said. “It was more how did our teams do. I just wanted to talk to my dad and the guys I played with, I was so happy. So many people helped me along the way. It’s an individual award, but not an individual achievement.” 

McFarland thinks about his beginnings: From tackling his fellow grade schoolers behind the end zone at Rawson Field (now Legends Stadium), to matriculating through the halls of Flathead High.  

He only had to walk a couple blocks from his house to reach either place. 

His sophomore year, his dad Mike told him and his buddies if they made the varsity basketball team he’d paint that house orange and black. They made it and they held him to it, and the next summer the McFarland residence sported the Flathead Braves’ arrowhead. 

“That’s how Coach (Mick) Dennehy found it,” McFarland said.  

Recruited for a time by Colorado State assistant and future Griz head coach Mick Delaney — until McFarland broke his foot six games into his senior season — and Ivy league schools, he chose Montana over MSU and Oregon State. Watching the Griz beat the Cats helped seal the deal; so did a camp where he lined up against Decker. 

“I’d gone to Griz camp and he was just big and nasty,” McFarland said. “And I thought, I don’t want to play against that guy for four years.” 

He never looked back; the 6-foot-6, 290-pounder just opened holes. His bio at gogriz.com says he helped pave the way for some of Montana’s greatest rushers.  

Yohance Humphrey probably should have won the Walter Payton Award in 2001; Justin Green and Flathead grad Lex Hilliard followed.  

McFarland was taken in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL draft and played parts of two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, three games in all, and 10 games with Hamburg of the World League. 

By then he was settling down with his wife of 18 years, Allie. They have three kids, including twins in fifth grade. 

“It’s been a lot of time coaching flag football,” McFarland said. “And basketball. And baseball.” 

It’s a full circle. Fifth grade is one of his fondest memories, rough-housing with Aaron Arnoux at Rawson. 

“Even my birthday parties were there,” he said. “We’d watch the high school games and think, Someday we’ll be playing out there. 

“Then actually getting to play there meant so much to me, and my friends. That was the ultimate goal when I was a little kid.” 

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 406-758-4463 or at fneighbor@dailyinterlake.com.