It was fun to learn that Shay Smithwick-Hann had committed to play football for the Montana Grizzlies.

Besides being an outstanding football player and athlete, he comes from good stock. I know that, since I’m elderly enough to have been around when his dad played for the Griz the first two years I was the radio voice for UM football and men’s basketball, way back in 1971 and 1972.

Jim was an undersized tight end – at least by today’s standards – who transferred to Missoula from a junior college. It was about halfway through the Jack Swarthout coaching era at Montana.

What I remember most about Jim Hann from those days was what a nice guy he was. Although I haven’t seen a lot of him since those days – I saw more of him during the 13 years I worked in Griz athletics late in the last century – he’s still a nice guy.

I met Shay last year when he and his dad came down to watch the Griz practice. He’s bigger than his dad and – sorry, Jim – probably more athletic. I haven’t met his mom, but I was struck by the fact that he had picked up my favorite trait of his dad. He seemed like a nice kid, with a firm handshake and a willingness to visit with one of his dad’s old colleagues.

He was a quarterback at Kalispell Glacier High School, and likely will try to be one at Montana. Shay is well aware that he will face competition from quarterbacks already on the Griz roster, and a highly-touted one from Oregon who also has committed to UM. He acknowledged as much in his interview with Griz beat writer Fritz Neighbor.

“The thing you have to do to play for the Grizzlies, is you have to compete,” Smithwick-Hann told Fritz, adding, “I wanted to be a Griz, and I know I’ll have to compete every year.”

Make that every day.

So I like his attitude, too. Never-ending competition for playing time and taking nothing for granted are two of the things that have made the Griz so good for so long.

So welcome aboard, Shay. You go, boy!

- Bill Schwanke