MISSOULA — Ryan Simpson grew up wanting to be a football player.
Fast forward to 2024, and the Bozeman native is ready to put a bow on that career and dream.
"I remember when I was a little kid putting on the pads at Halloween and all that stuff," Simpson recalled. "Just knowing that all that hard work just comes down to this last couple of months, just give it my all and take advantage of it."
The 6-foot-6 Simpson was a standout for the Bozeman Hawks before making the trek to Missoula to play for the Montana Grizzlies.
It was in 2021, as a redshirt freshman, he was thrown into the fire right away. Simpson began to crack into playing time, and caught 19 passes for 247 yards that season. Simpson credited working with older receivers like Samori Toure and Samuel Akem — the latter who sports a tall frame and build similar to Simpson — as early mentors to help him be prepared to take the field.
"I was a tall skinny guy when I got here," Simpson said. "So just learning to be more physical and get used to my body a little more and be able to catch balls and be physical with these college cornerbacks and DBs. So just being able to bulk up and be more physical was a it was a big change from high school for sure."
In 2022, Simpson was again prominently featured in the offense as he caught a pair of touchdowns as he continued to grow.
Last year his role changed as his playing time fluctuated and he caught just a pair of passes, but Simpson never wavered or quit as he embraced being a leader and doing whatever the team needed from him.
"We've got a lot of depth on the outside, so just taking advantage of my opportunities, and then when the other guys are in, just making sure if they need any help or need a call or anything, just make sure I'm locked in on the sidelines and I'm helping them out whenever they need," Simpson said. "Just being supportive, being positive, it can go a long ways.
"It's pretty easy to have a smile on my face when we're winning games. So yeah, always staying positive really helps out."
That never-quit attitude comes from Simpson's own life experience and hardships off of the field.
Over three years ago in March of 2021 as a young player still learning the college game, tragedy struck Simpson and his family, as his father, Randy Simpson, passed away in a vehicle accident.
"So my dad was my role model," Simpson said. "So losing him, I definitely wanted to really work hard and do everything for him, even in the classroom and out here. Just working hard and staying positive. Whatever I do, do it for him."
Simpson said his teammates and coaches were a community that was there for him every step of the way, as he dealt with this loss, and continues to, as he thinks about his father every day. During it, his roommates even made the trip to Bozeman to visit him and check in on him and his family.
It's molded him into someone who doesn't take things for granted and who will leave UM in the fall with an MBA after finishing his undergraduate studies in management and entrepreneurship.
"I think about him every day, and always when I'm going out there to practice and in games, just staying positive and working hard, just no plays off now, and this is my last go at it too," Simpson said. "So just take advantage of every opportunity."
Simpson enters the year as a key backup for the Grizzlies at wide receiver. In his career at UM, he's caught 35 passes for 476 yards and two scores.
Through it all, he always finds a way to stay positive, and that mentality stays the same for Simpson as he enters his final campaign as a Grizzly with expectations high for him, and the group.
"I'm just taking it all in, enjoying all these little moments every day of practice, just with these guys," Simpson said. "It feels like I've been here forever, but at the same time, it's going by so fast. So just enjoying every moment with my teammates, because we're all going to be going separate ways in a couple of months. So yeah, just enjoying all of it."
