. . Jace Lewis got that opportunity with the Griz, the team he fell in love with as a little kid by watching games on television or at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Now in his sixth year, he’s gone from a walk-on player out of small-town Montana to a preseason All-American recognized as one of the best defensive players in the FCS while never losing the gratitude for everyone who’s helped him along the way.
“You can’t just come into a place like this and expect to come out and play right away,” he said. “You have to work your butt off to get where you’re at. I think that’s a testament to what I’ve done. “I thought I could play here because I saw the guys around me, and I was like, ‘I think that’s just hard work and a blue-collar work ethic you need.’ I think that’s what you have to have coming into college. You can’t back down to anybody and just have to do your thing.”
. . . Lewis’ blue-collar work ethic stems from his family. His father grew up on a ranch and his mother grew up with a father who was a carpenter, he said. He learned about that type of demanding, disciplined work first-hand while he grew up pitching in on a family ranch his uncle and cousins ran by fixing fences, branding livestock and baling hay. “My parents were always like, ‘You can try whatever you want, but if you’re going to do it, you’re going to stick with it and be the best you can be with it,’” he said. “They encouraged me and supported me with whatever I wanted to do.” Lewis loved watching football every Saturday and Sunday after playing on Friday. He also enjoyed the tough coaching he first got in high school from Horne and head coach Travis Rauh. It prepared him for when he got to UM.
Lewis has also embraced the grind in the weight room. While it was demanding physically, he found a joy in pushing his teammates and getting pushed by them in his quest to try to be the best he could be. He’s gone on to become a 6-foot-1, 230-pound bruiser, a transformation that he credits to former strength coach Matt Nicholson, who was a walk-on at Houston. “He saw something in me and always pushed me, and I put my trust into him,” Lewis said. “He’s part of the reason too why I’ve gotten my body right speed-wise, strength-wise to be able to play on Saturdays. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I’d be here today.” Lewis also loved how supportive the tight-knit community was in Townsend, which has a population of about 2,100 people. He played quarterback in addition to linebacker as Townsend won the 2014 State B title, but the moment that stands out to Horne is the East-West Shrine Game Lewis’ senior season.
. . . “Jace is a guy that represents 37 perfectly, I think,” junior wide receiver Mitch Roberts, a Missoula native said. “I’ve gotten to know Jace pretty well within this last year getting closer with him, and he’s a great guy and great player for us. It’s cool to see him in the 37 because he definitely holds up that standard.”
2027 Montana Recruiting (17) Verbals & (27) Offers (2) 2028 Offers