Schye ready for senior season

Former Malta High School standout Tucker Schye is about to do something that many Montana born football players dream of.

Schye is set to don the coveted number 37 jersey for the Montana University Grizzlies this season, and his first game is set to kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, as the Griz will try to defend their home turf Washington-Grizzly Stadium against the Valparaiso Crusaders in Missoula.

He received the number from former Griz player and previous #37 wearer Caleb Kidder, who is currently on the preseason roster for the New England Patriots this past Christmas.

"It was a very special moment for me," Schye said. "I was very proud that I was chosen for that. I don't like talking about myself but it was a very big deal for me, growing up a Griz fan. With everything that number means and all the history behind it, it was a special thing."

The number is Schye's third since joining the team as a redshirt-freshman in 2013. He wore the number 51 until eventually changing to 44 a couple of years later. He will eventually pass the legacy number down to a Montana native after this season.

Schye redshirted in 2013, but was named the University of Montana "Scout Team Player of the Year" on defense. In 2014, as a backup linebacker, Schye had 21 tackles. He also scored on a 46 yard punt return fumble recovery. In 2015, Schye was moved from linebacker to defensive end, where he notched up five tackles for loss and 14 total tackles. In 2016 he was fifth on the team for tackles for loss with seven. He also had 28 tackles and one sack. He was able to defend six passes. For more info check out his bio on Gogriz.com.

For now Schye is at the Griz's Fall Camp, an event that is essentially the team's training camp. Camp started on Sunday, August 6 and will conclude during the team's game week against Valparaiso.

"It's a really good atmosphere with a lot of positive energy with the team this year," Schye said. "Last year was a letdown for all of us but I think we have things headed the right way and we have a real good outlook this year."

The Griz went 6-5 last season, but the team ended their season with a two game losing streak, falling 28-25 to Northern Colorado and 24-17 to their rivals, the Montana State Bobcats at home. The team was previously undefeated at home in 2016. The team had made the second round of the FCS Playoffs in 2015.

"My take on it is that we kind of fell apart in terms of team cohesiveness and team chemistry," Schye said. "Those are things that I thought we had well together."

Schye believes that the team has learned from their fall in 2016.

"We've learned how important that chemistry aspect of it is," Schye said. "How important it is to know, trust and love your teammates. We had a couple of weak links in the team that really cost us but I think all of that's behind us."

As for Schye, he was in on more snaps last season, and is expected to play an even bigger role this season.

"I saw some time last year and this year will be a little better," Schye said. "I got some good reps under my belt last year and I am ready to go."

Schye doesn't like to linger on things that he has done individually, but would rather focus on winning the game.

"I would rather have won every game last year than have a big play," he said.

During his years as a Griz player, Schye had gone through a coaching change as the team went from former Head Coach Mick Delaney to Bob Stitt in the 2015 season. Both coaches being offensive minded have deferred defensive responsibilities to their defensive coordinators and with the coaching change, Coach Stitt brought Jason Semore to lead Schye and the Griz defense. Schye's position coach is Brian Hendricks.

"They are both terrific coaches," Schye said of Semore and Hendricks.

Schye has also gone through the transition of being a linebacker to being a defensive end, a move that occasionally has Schye go to a three point stance. He spent most of last season going from a two-point stance.

"Last year I did stand up for most of the plays, but really, your stance doesn't change how you play on the D-line all that much," Schye said. "I have been in a three point before in my sophomore year. For me it's not hard to go back at all. And it's not a big change at all going from Leo (pass rushing linebacker) to End. If anything End is a little simpler, I would say."

Schye admitted that he has been working on things to improve himself on the line.

"It's taken me a couple of years from moving to D-Line from never having done it to mastering the pass-rush," he said. "That's something that I have put a lot of work into and something that I take pride in and something I hope to reap the benefits."

He went on to say that he is aiming to get better at stopping the run as well as getting stronger and faster. During the summer months, Schye and the Griz team did a majority of their heavy weight lifting, but during Fall Camp their schedule has been even more hectic.

"Now that we are at Fall Camp, I'm up everyday a little before 6 a.m.," Schye said. "I get over into the training room to get ready for practice (in the morning). Then we do some meetings until practice starts at 8:30 a.m."

The team then goes to lunch, which is followed by more meetings or weight training in the afternoon, depending on the day. Then comes dinner, followed by some more meetings.

"I'm usually home by 7 or 7:30 p.m.," Schye said. "It's pretty much every day but it changes if there is a scrimmage."

Every once in a while the team gets a day off to let their legs recover.

A 2013 graduate of Malta High School, Schye has been a part of a few Blue and White scrimmages held by the Malta Mustangs, but his collegiate scrimmages aren't reminiscent of his high school scrimmages.

"They are really not quite as big of a deal as the Blue and White Scrimmage because we do have them in the spring and we have them throughout fall camp," Schye said. "They are all open to the public. One of them is usually bigger than the others but there is no special name for it."

Schye is a part of a state-wide rivalry against the MSU Bobcats, a rivalry bigger than any other in Montana. The annual Brawl of the Wild.

"It's a pretty special thing for me and for everyone who plays in it," Schye said. "The dislike between the two teams and the hatred that is there. It's something that everyone looks forward to at the end of the season. It's an experience like no other and something that I really cherish."

Schye went on to say the teams show good sportsmanship after their annual rivalry game but sometimes things get tense.

"It can get a little hostile after. I have been a part of some of those situations," Schye said. "For the most part it's a good game regardless of who wins. Usually it's the Griz."

To help fuel themselves, the Griz players participate in a high protein diet with a lot of calories.

"You're not only eating breakfast, lunch and dinner but you have a lot of smaller meals, two to three sprinkled throughout the day," Schye said. "During camp it's hard to keep your weight up so you have to up your calorie intake."

He went on to say that his diet doesn't consist or any fast food. During the summer, he makes all of his meals at home but during camp and the regular season meals are provided by the campus.

Schye expressed how being a former Mustang has helped him in his college career.

"It has helped me tremendously and in a lot of ways," Schye said. "I've been blessed at Malta to have a tremendous amount of coaches throughout my high school career, where they do everything right and everything is done in a way that should be done. You work hard, you earn stuff. Guys like Coach King (Scott King) and my dad (Tad Schye) and Coach Costin (David Costin). I have been very blessed with a lot of positive coaches that prepared me to be here. I am very blessed to be from where I am from."

He was able to see his father Coach Tad Schye receive coaching hall of Fame honors a few weeks ago in Great Falls with his mother Amy Schye, and his sisters Darby and Ella Schye.

"It was really a special moment and something that was well deserved for my dad," Schye said. "He has had a really successful career in coaching football and track that not many people achieve."

As Schye prepares to hit the field, living a childhood dream in a week-and-a-half, he shared some advice for young athletes chasing their dreams.

"I was in their shoes before," Schye said. "If you have the talent and the right attitude and you work really hard, you can pretty much do whatever you want. It may sound simple, yet it's not. It's not an easy thing but if you really work towards something and put everything you have into it, there is a good chance that it will work out for you."