Montana and the NFL

by Brian D'Ambrosio

Montanans' football obsession goes far beyond storied college programs. From Baker to Zurich, even the tiniest towns in Montana have sent players to the NFL. One of the most dominant offensive linemen of the 1940s was Anaconda's own Francis Cope, who earned All-Decade honors as a New York Giant. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991, MSU alum Jan Stenerud was the league's first soccer-style kicker. Pat Donovan, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s, was named by Sports Illustrated as the fourth-greatest Montana athlete of the twentieth century. Griz Doug Betters was a member of the Miami Dolphins' famed Killer Bees and the 1983 NFL defensive player of the year. From the obscure to the prominent, author Brian D'Ambrosio celebrates Big Sky Country's rich connections with America's favorite professional sports league.

256 pages, Paperback

Published August 21, 2017

About the author

Brian D'Ambrosio lives and works in, as well as writes from, Missoula, Montana. In his most recent profiles, D'Ambrosio interviewed Iowa folk music legend Greg Brown, blues artist Mia Borders, boxing legend Earnie Shavers, boxer Doug DeWitt, Washington Capitals assistant coach Tim Hunter, and famed Montana leather artist Howard Knight.

D'Ambrosio's past stints have included work as an instructor, media consultant, newspaper editor, and marketing and communications coordinator.

His favorite journalistic topics or subjects: history, theatre, architecture, biography, boxing, NHL tough guys, photography, forgotten inventors, and obscure American poets and authors.

Brian D'Ambrosio has written more than 10 books and is in the process of completing a biography of boxer "Indian" Marvin Camel and a book called 'Warriors on the Ice," detailing the whereabouts of many former NHL tough guys. He contributes regularly to multiple publications on a vast variety of subjects.