The ball flutters in the air, knuckling around in front of a big, blue sky. A crowd of 26,000 plus gazes on, nervous looks pasted upon each face. John Nguyen stands alone, the hopes of everyone in the stands weighing on his 5-foot-7 shoulders.
John Nguyen is in his junior year with the Montana Grizzlies, serving as the starting running back. He joined the Grizzlies after an unbelievable career with Bellevue High School, leading his team to a state championship and a 40-game win streak.
At Montana, he made an immediate impact, playing in 11 games as a true freshman. The name Nguyen on the back of a maroon jersey wasn’t a strange sight for Montana fans.
Peter Nguyen graduated from UM the year before John arrived on campus. Peter will go down as one of the best running backs in Griz lore, finishing his career with 1,985 yards, the seventh highest total in school history.