Bill Kollar

[duelalumnicat]

I just read that the Denver Broncos hired former Bobcat great Bill Kollar as their new defensive line coach. He spent the past six seasons with the Houston Texans. For the first five years he worked with former Houston head coach and new Denver head coach Gary Kubiak.

For those of you who may not know, ( according to Wikipedia ) during his time at Montana State University, Bill Kollar was a three-time First Team All-Big Sky Conference selection and a two-time Little All-American. As a junior for the Bobcats, he was named the Big Sky Player of the Year. His jersey #77 has been retired by Montana State. On April 10, 2014, he was named to the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, commemorating the 40th anniversary of his being named 1974 MVP of the annual college all-star game. The Cincinnati Bengals subsequently drafted him with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft.

I don't know Bill Kollar, but I remember reading about him when I was a kid. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that maybe he has been forgotten by the Bobcat Nation. Does anybody here know him? Does he have any contact with MSU? Has he ever been honored by the Athletics Department for his accomplishments? As a former MVP of the Senior Bowl, former first round NFL draft pick, and a highly respected NFL defensive line coach, he might have something to offer.

Even though Bill Kollar is originally from Ohio, and last played for the Bobcats in 1974, I bet he has never considered the Cat-Griz game to be "just another game."

[TomCat88]

Definitely not forgotten. I actually got hold of the Senior Bowl HOF Commitee and made a pitch for his induction. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. It's great he got in. Just being a non-D1 guy that was MVP was reason enough in my opinion.

[JDoub]

I don't know how connected he is to MSU anymore, but the boys in my 4th grade class at Longfellow Elementary (including 3 of us who would grow up to actually play for the Bobcats) would spend most of our free time drawing pictures of #77 or Sam McCullum. It was our great privilege to have our wonderful artwork displayed at the final Bobcat Booster breakfast in the Baxter, where we all got to meet Mr. Kollar and other Bobcats. I still have his autograph from that Booster breakfast in 1974! He dominated the line at Reno H. Sales like no one else I have ever seen to this day.



[youtube][/youtube]

[RickRund]

Those two are a couple of my favorite BOBCATS. Remember many a game rooting them on. Cannot believe it was that long ago.

[77matcat]

Kollar's cowboys!!!!!!
Frequently opposing offenses punted from further back then where they started.


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[77matcat]

Interesting Bill has relieved himself from the hassle of combing his hair. I don't believe he combed his hair once through 4 years of school.

One beast on the field. Truly struck fear in the heart of all BSC QBs


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[Joe Bobcat]

A good friend of mine played QB against Kollar in college and just a few months ago we were reminiscing about those days and his comment to me was that Bill Kollar was "hands down the hardest hitting fiercest competitor" he had ever faced in his college career and that he was just a level above everyone else he ever played against. Along with the deep respect he had for Kollar you could quite honestly still hear the fear he had of him back in the day on the field.

[Teton Cat]

Back in the late sixties/early seventies Youngstown, Ohio was a hotspot for MSU recruiting and I really don't know why. We got at least half a dozen players from the area. Kollar was lightly recruited because he was under six feet in High School but he grew 5-6 inches after he arrived in Bozeman and MSU essentially got lightening in a bottle!!! Kollar was the real deal!! A couple of years behind him was another stud.....Wayne Hammond a DT from Anoka MN.....who was even bigger than Kollar.....about 6'5" and 300 l.b.s. I met and knew them both.....as far as fearsome looking Hammond was the scariest dude I ever saw that put on a Bobcat uniform

[76er]

Bill is married to a Great Falls girl and an "in-law" of sorts. I posted on BN a few days ago that I wondered if Kubiak would pick him up. They are good friends. Check out video posted on this forum of his Sr. bowl acceptance speech. He is a good man and highly respected in the NFL.

[Mr Lisle]

As far as the Big Sky Conference goes, Kollar was really a legend in his own time. I was at the game in Boise when he went down with a knee injury. When he was being helped off the Bronco fans got up in unison and gave him a standing ovation. He really was the real deal.

[Cat Grad]

I had only been out of high school a few years when Bill Kollar and Sam arrived at MSU. It was always great to sit and talk about certain players with Don Collins. As I was pretty young and Don had been around MSU forever, I kept my mouth shut and listened to him explain why Bill had such a drive to beat everybody else. He was something to watch at MSU and in the NFL.

[gtapp]

[Cat Grad]

You think we see this mindset again? I suspect you have a hidden agenda with this Mr. Tapp.

[LongTimeCatFan]

Well that video was pretty darn appropriate.

[arvcat2]

For you old geezy Cat fans like me, I dug up the Oct. 20, 1973 program for the Cat/Griz game, Kollar's senior season and the first year at the current stadium. The cover photo has Kollar, three teammates, and a REAL bobcat! Within is a full page write-up on him by Ken Nicholson, the SID at that time. As it's recruiting season now, a few tidbits popped out to me; as a senior in HS in Warren, Ohio he was 6-2, 205 and "I came out for a (recruiting) visit and liked what I saw - the campus, the mountains, no pollution." Sounds like what the current commitments say, less the pollution reference. His father was a lifelong steel mill worker. Anyway, I wish I could post the entire article but did take the effort to try to cut and paste the following Cat starting lineup for that day. Note the approximate 50-50 split of in state versus out of state players and the Ohio (Joe Tiller influence) and Washington connection. Some great players they were!

Split End Sam McCullum Kalispell
Left Tackle Alan Ward Federal Way, Washington
Left Guard Jim Boyle Niles, Ohio
Center Dave Myers Toledo, Ohio
Right Guard Leon Potkay Warren Ohio
Right Tackle Gary Egerton Freeland, Washington
Tight End Bob Grabb Edina, Minnesota
Quarterback Mike Dunbar Bozeman (s/b Glasgow)
Flanker Bryan Flaig Missoula
Fullback Don Bagley Joliet, Illinois
Tailback Wayne Edwards Denton
Kicker Pat Bolton Butte

Left End Greg Mauer Helena
Left Tackle Wayne Hammond Anoka, Minnesota
Right Tackle Bill Kollar Warren, Ohio
Right End Brad Daws Bozeman
Outside LB Steve Endres Clinton, Maryland
Inside LB Ron Ueland Butte
Inside LB Dusty Birkenbuel Great Falls
Outside LB Gary Wright Kelso, Washington
Left CB Bill Crowley Billings
Right CB Randy Hickel Federal Way, Washington
Safety Steve Dodds Spokane, Washington
Punter Brad Brisbin Bozeman

[Cat Grad]

For you old geezy Cat fans like me, I dug up the Oct. 20, 1973 program for the Cat/Griz game, Kollar's senior season and the first year at the current stadium. The cover photo has Kollar, three teammates, and a REAL bobcat! Within is a full page write-up on him by Ken Nicholson, the SID at that time. As it's recruiting season now, a few tidbits popped out to me; as a senior in HS in Warren, Ohio he was 6-2, 205 and "I came out for a (recruiting) visit and liked what I saw - the campus, the mountains, no pollution." Sounds like what the current commitments say, less the pollution reference. His father was a lifelong steel mill worker. Anyway, I wish I could post the entire article but did take the effort to try to cut and paste the following Cat starting lineup for that day. Note the approximate 50-50 split of in state versus out of state players and the Ohio (Joe Tiller influence) and Washington connection. Some great players they were!

Split End Sam McCullum Kalispell
Left Tackle Alan Ward Federal Way, Washington
Left Guard Jim Boyle Niles, Ohio
Center Dave Myers Toledo, Ohio
Right Guard Leon Potkay Warren Ohio
Right Tackle Gary Egerton Freeland, Washington
Tight End Bob Grabb Edina, Minnesota
Quarterback Mike Dunbar Bozeman (s/b Glasgow)
Flanker Bryan Flaig Missoula
Fullback Don Bagley Joliet, Illinois
Tailback Wayne Edwards Denton
Kicker Pat Bolton Butte

Left End Greg Mauer Helena
Left Tackle Wayne Hammond Anoka, Minnesota
Right Tackle Bill Kollar Warren, Ohio
Right End Brad Daws Bozeman
Outside LB Steve Endres Clinton, Maryland
Inside LB Ron Ueland Butte
Inside LB Dusty Birkenbuel Great Falls
Outside LB Gary Wright Kelso, Washington
Left CB Bill Crowley Billings
Right CB Randy Hickel Federal Way, Washington
Safety Steve Dodds Spokane, Washington
Punter Brad Brisbin Bozeman

Thanks! Wasn't that last years team...

[RickRund]

Boy, do those names bring back some great memories.....Thanks for the share.
I had been trying to remember when Reno H Sales opened. I remember one year at Gatton and one year at the Hawks field. The name Winkler or something like that?????
I played slow pitch against Potkay. Very funny story about him. I actually knocked him out of a game once. WELL sort of. I was batting, he was catcher. He chewed and I foul tipped a ball and as he tried to catch it, fell over and accidentally swallowed his chew. OUT OF THE GAME. They brought Rod Knute (sp) in to take his place. That slow pitch team was pretty powerful. Maybe they had Jack at 1st base and the pitcher was Denny ????? Cannot remember Denny's last name? Age kicking in.I also played against Brisbin I believe. It was either Brisbin or Bolton, but I think Brisbin. Remember a tournament at the newer fields on the east end where I had to help carry Brisbin off the field. He had collided with another outfielder and really got rung up, lots of blood as I remember. HECK of a punter and always thought he should have be taken into the NFL.....
My ramble is over now. Thank arvcar2

[Belgrade Big Dog]

72 was my freshman year. It was Van Winkle Stadium. Fun times. I knew many of those guys. I was fraternity brothers with Steve Dodds and Greg Maurer. Mike Kramer once commented about playing against Kollar. He said "Kollar went over you, around you, and through you". High praise from a guy who was a pretty good football player himself.

[Teton Cat]

72 was my freshman year. It was Van Winkle Stadium. Fun times. I knew many of those guys. I was fraternity brothers with Steve Dodds and Greg Maurer. Mike Kramer once commented about playing against Kollar. He said "Kollar went over you, around you, and through you". High praise from a guy who was a pretty good football player himself.

Hey there Big Dog!!! I too was in the same fraternity at the same time. PM me or give me a hint at who you are......

[catsrback76]

For you old geezy Cat fans like me, I dug up the Oct. 20, 1973 program for the Cat/Griz game, Kollar's senior season and the first year at the current stadium. The cover photo has Kollar, three teammates, and a REAL bobcat! Within is a full page write-up on him by Ken Nicholson, the SID at that time. As it's recruiting season now, a few tidbits popped out to me; as a senior in HS in Warren, Ohio he was 6-2, 205 and "I came out for a (recruiting) visit and liked what I saw - the campus, the mountains, no pollution." Sounds like what the current commitments say, less the pollution reference. His father was a lifelong steel mill worker. Anyway, I wish I could post the entire article but did take the effort to try to cut and paste the following Cat starting lineup for that day. Note the approximate 50-50 split of in state versus out of state players and the Ohio (Joe Tiller influence) and Washington connection. Some great players they were!

Split End Sam McCullum Kalispell
Left Tackle Alan Ward Federal Way, Washington
Left Guard Jim Boyle Niles, Ohio
Center Dave Myers Toledo, Ohio
Right Guard Leon Potkay Warren Ohio
Right Tackle Gary Egerton Freeland, Washington
Tight End Bob Grabb Edina, Minnesota
Quarterback Mike Dunbar Bozeman (s/b Glasgow)
Flanker Bryan Flaig Missoula
Fullback Don Bagley Joliet, Illinois
Tailback Wayne Edwards Denton
Kicker Pat Bolton Butte

Left End Greg Mauer Helena
Left Tackle Wayne Hammond Anoka, Minnesota
Right Tackle Bill Kollar Warren, Ohio
Right End Brad Daws Bozeman
Outside LB Steve Endres Clinton, Maryland
Inside LB Ron Ueland Butte
Inside LB Dusty Birkenbuel Great Falls
Outside LB Gary Wright Kelso, Washington
Left CB Bill Crowley Billings
Right CB Randy Hickel Federal Way, Washington
Safety Steve Dodds Spokane, Washington
Punter Brad Brisbin Bozeman

Thanks! Wasn't that last years team...

Yep, that wasn't so long ago. Nice looking team!