Griz Greats: The Silver Anniversary of the 1995 National Champions

Brian Toone was a junior on the 1995 National Championship team. He graduated from Butte High where the Bulldogs made a state championship run in his senior season. From there he became a standout on the Grizzly defense, perhaps most memorably combining with fellow Butte alum Randy Riley on a sack-safety of Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington in the National Championship. That play proved to be the final margin of victory in Montana's 22-20 defeat of the Thundering Herd.

Most recently, Toone has now taken over the family business - making jewelry - he owns Jewelry Design Center in Spokane Washington.

Eric Simonson came to Montana as a skinny, athletic offensive lineman from Plentywood, Montana. He transformed himself into an elite offensive lineman, one that would earn first-team All-American honors at tackle during his senior season in 1995. That year proved to be an unforgettable one as Simonson, who got married while in college and welcomed his son into the world while his football team was in a midst of a run that culminated in the first national title in school history.

Mike Bouchee grew up in Missoula as the son of former Griz lineman Bill Bouchee and the pride of Montana football was instilled in him at an early age. By high school, Bouchee was an all-state linebacker on a few of head coach Van Troxel’s last great teams at Hellgate High. And 1992, he was living a lifelong dream of playing for the Grizzlies and by 1995, he was Montana’s starting middle linebacker. Bouchee played a pivotal role on the Griz defense that season, leading UM with 97 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, and forcing two fumbles. He finished his career with 245 career tackles, at the time the 16th most in the history of Griz football. The two-time All-American also earned All-Big Sky Conference honors on the field and academically as well.

Wayne Hogan became the AD at UM during the 1995 football season. He was hired by then President George Dennison and officially started on the job in October of 1995. What a time to come on board as two months later the Griz took home their first national championship.

Having been in the Florida State Athletic Department through the early 90's, Hogan new what a winning environment looked like and worked to foster that at Montana. He had some ups and downs as the AD, but his perspective and gregarious nature make this episode a can't miss.

Dave Kempert, OL - Missoula native

Dave Kempfert grew up in Missoula and was as close to the UM athletic department as any kid in the Garden City. His father, Al Kempfert, was an administrator in the athletic department. His brother, Matt Kempfert, was the top player for Blaine Taylor on the men’s basketball team.

When Dave Kempfert joined Joe Glenn’s Griz, he rapidly carved out a reputation all his own. The center was a senior in 1995 and earned All-American honors, helping anchor the interior of an offensive line that featured three All-Americans.

Those who know him best describe Jason Crebo as a gentle giant. Those who watched him play for Montana remember the Helena native as one of the fiercest defensive players the school has ever produced.

In 1994, Crebo took over Montana’s famed No. 37 jersey, following in the footsteps of Kraig Paulson, Tim Hauck and Todd Ericson. In 1995, Crebo broke into Montana’s starting lineup at outside linebacker and started etching one of the great careers in the school’s history. He earned first-team All-Big Sky and All-American honors for the first of what would become three straight such accolades. And he helped anchor a fearsome Griz linebacker core that helped the Griz surge to their first football national championship in school history.

Dave Guffey came to the University of Montana to take the head job at “information services” in the fall of 1978. At the time, Gene Carlson was the head Griz football coach and Mike Montgomery had just taken the head basketball job.

Guffey served as the head sports information director at UM for 37 years, giving him perhaps the deepest perspective when it comes to Griz football and men’s basketball of any person to work at the athletic department. Guffey staffed more than 450 Griz football games, only missing three in his 37 years on the job. And even 25 years later, his memories of Montana’s run to the 1995 Division I-AA national title are among his sharpest.

When Bill Johnston retired as the CEO of the University of Montana alumni foundation after 36 years at UM, former Montana President Royce Engstrom stated: "It’s said that Montana is one small town with very long streets. Meeting Bill will make you believe it.

"If you’ve ever traveled this state with him, you realize quickly he seems to know everyone. He either knows them, their family or has mutual friends. When you combine that with Bill’s uncanny ability to remember, recognize and recollect so many details about the people and places that intersect with UM, it’s easy to see why, to many people, he is the face of our University."

Johnston's memory comes through in full force on Griz Greats as he recollects the impact that Montana's 1995 football national championship had on the University, the MIssoula community, Western Montana and the Treasure State as a whole.

Matt Wells came to the University of Montana from Ashland, Oregon as an undersized, deceptively quick wide receiver who spent his prep days catching passes from fellow future Griz Bert Wilberger. When Wells arrived at Montana, he found himself sharing a dorm room with another Griz quarterback: Dave Dickenson.

Entering the 1995 season, the narrative inside the Griz program leaned heavily on how UM would replace Shalon Baker and Scott Guernsey, the two most productive receivers in school history. The 5-foot-7, 160-pound Wells used his ability to shred opponents on screen passes, on the perimeter and over the middle to help the Griz wide receivers erase any doubt. Wells had more than 1,000 yards receiving and caught 10 touchdowns in his senior year in 1995, playing a pivotal role as Montana rolled to the first national title in school history. Wells finished his career with 248 catches, 3,342 yards and 23 receiving touchdowns, all three the most in program history at the time.