(Ed note: This is the third of four stories on local athletes in this weekend's Montana-Montana St. football game)

It’s been an incredible gridiron journey for Kalispell’s Jackson Thiebes.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pound sophomore offensive tackle at the University of Montana says he never thought about, or even dreamed of, playing college football heading into his senior season at Glacier High School.

“Go to MSU ... I think I wanted to study pre-law back then,” he said of his plans after high school.

“I gave a mediocre effort in school and football.”

But something special happened in that fall of 2011.

After not seeing much playing time his first three years with the Wolfpack program, “I was splitting time,” he said of his final year.

“When I started playing more, I started loving it more.”

“It finally clicked (for him). I’ll never forget it,” Glacier head coach Grady Bennett said.

“About Game 6 of his senior year everything changed. He worked harder, had more intensity and had more passion. He became a force (on the field).

“When our season ended, he gave me a huge hug and said ‘I love football and I wanna play at the next level,’” Bennett said.

“Jackson always had the potential. He had a great frame (6-3, 190, in high school), but was one of those kids who was a little hard to motivate as a sophomore and junior. The love just wasn’t there for the game. When they do fall in love with it, and where he is now, that’s what it’s all about. I’m so proud of him. It’s such a neat story.”

After that fall season, Thiebes and his father hit the Internet searching for colleges where he could continue to play football.

“Sending emails and calling coaches at D III schools that don’t recruit,” Thiebes said.

He eventually narrowed the list down to three — Puget Sound, Willamette University and Lewis and Clark College in Portland.

“They showed a lot of interest,” Thiebes said of Lewis and Clark.

“I went there on a visit. I was born in Portland and I’ve always loved that city. The campus there is really beautiful. I went and everything seemed great there.”

His stay at Lewis and Clark, however, was short. It lasted one semester.

“Played football, did not start,” he said.

“Played a little bit of tight end and a little bit of defensive end.

“An expensive school, it was a hard decision,” he continued.

“Winter break, I sat down with my dad and talked. I wanted more. The University of Montana is as big as it gets for me so I wanted to go there.”

So Thiebes contacted Roland Ford, Director of Football Operations at UM, about signing up for a winter conditioning program for student/athletes who want to walk on with the football team.

“You show up Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 a.m. at the stadium,” Thiebes said.

“Winter conditioning started in February and went five weeks.”

It also involved drills on the field.

“If they like you, they invite you to spring ball,” Thiebes said.

He did not make the cut.

“I went to school, didn’t go to class,” he said after that setback.

“It was rough. I thought the typical freshman year (was to) hang out and party. The spring semester didn’t go so well.”

Thiebes came back to Kalispell and worked during the summer.

“I decided I wanted to get back in shape and do it again,” he said.

“I moved back to Missoula, lived in an apartment downtown and started working out at Missoula Underground Strength Training Center. I told them (trainers) what I was planning to do.”

His routine was demanding that fall semester. He worked out every day at 6 a.m. On Tuesday and Thursday after class he was back at it at 6 p.m.

“Did that for five months,” he said.

“Up until the winter tryouts last February.”

That’s when Thiebes contacted Ford again about signing up for the winter conditioning program.

“He didn’t really remember me (from the first time),” Thiebes said.

“When I got there, he found out how serious I was about it. I gained 50 pounds, mostly muscle, from working out. I was going to be a tight end.”

This time the Griz staff was impressed enough to give him a shot.

“They invited me to spring ball,” Thiebes.

Ford told Thiebes to “become NCAA eligible” and said “it looked like I would be making the team.

“I was pretty excited,” Thiebes said.

“I called my dad afterwards. He tried to stay calm. I think he was really excited.”

When spring practice started, Thiebes was “fourth or fifth string,” he said.

“I was loving it ... trying to figure out the playbook.”

Then halfway through drills, injuries started to take its toll on the offensive line.

“Coach Kade (Rannings, an assistant offensive line coach/video coordinator) told me to stand up next to one of the offensive tackles. I filled in and started playing. I was second (string) because of a lot of injuries.”

Thiebes was instructed to gain weight, get stronger and faster over the summer and was told he would be competing for second string.

He stayed in Missoula and worked out 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday religiously.

“I gained close to 25 pounds,” he said.

August, fall drills and the 2014 season couldn’t arrive fast enough for him.

“When fall camp started, it was the hardest month of my life ... physically and mentally,” he said.

“Just being there the first thing in the morning until late at night.

“I always had a strong sense of why I was doing this, thinking of the hard work and playing for the Grizzlies was enough to keep me going.”

Montana suffered another blow on the offense line when a player’s academic eligibility became an issue.

“I was taking first string reps, as one of the tackles just in case,” he said.

“They didn’t know if we would be able to play. They were making sure I was ready.”

The good news arrived shortly after that. Thiebes found out he was starting a week and a half before the season opener with Wyoming.

Scott Gragg, the assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach, “told me to just get better a little bit each day and do your part,” Thiebes said.

“He said it won’t be easy because you are under-sized, but to keep trying and get better and better.

“It was exciting, a little surreal. Then it sunk in ... I’d be starting my first college game.”

That game was versus Wyoming in Laramie. Montana lost 17-12.

Thiebes was in the starting lineup the following week, a 48-14 win over Central Washington at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

“I got hit in the head, a minor concussion,” he said.

“A bad stinger. I sat out versus South Dakota. I didn’t start at North Dakota State (the following week), but played half of the first half and all of the second half.”

On the second to last series, he suffered a high ankle sprain.

He has not been back in action since then.

“Right now it’s better,” he said.

“Practicing a little bit. Rehab in the training room two times a day ... icing it and doing exercises and stuff.”

Thiebes was not active last week at Southern Utah, but hopes to return for the season finale at home versus Montana State on Saturday.

“I would like to think so,” he said.

“I pray for the Griz-Cat game I can play.

“I had a goal,” Thiebes said of what kept him going doing the hard times.

“I knew nothing else mattered.”

The goal was to play for the Griz.

His father, John, graduated from UM and his grandfather, Joseph Thiebes, played for Griz. He lettered in 1942.

“It’s really frustrating,” he said of his latest detour.

“A pretty minor setback compared to what’s happened to me already in the past. It will take time (to heal). I’ll get through it.

“You can’t really control it (injuries),” he added.

“I was eager to get healthy and get back. I can’t do much more than train and rehab. That’s what I’ll do right now.”

Thiebes is also excelling in the classroom. A psychology major, his overall grade point average is 3.33.

“My freshman year set me back quite a bit,” he said.

“I’ve been slowly getting my GPA back up.

“I’m more hungry and dedicated than ever,” he said.

“It will be something I will never forget,” he said of his first start at Washington-Grizzly Stadium before a sellout crowd of 25,217.

“Coming out of the tunnel and being blinded by the smoke, a flash and the entire stadium was screaming. Thinking of how all the hard work has paid off, how great if felt.”

Thiebes didn’t ask for jersey No. 60, “they just gave it to me,” he said.

That was also his high school number.

Looking ahead, Thiebes hopes to add more strength and weight during the offseason. He’d like to start fall camp next year at 285.

“My dad, definitely,” he said of his inspirational hero.

“He helped me out a lot through the entire process.”

And, there was something else.

“The dream of being a Griz is something that kept me (going),” he said.