'Every Day is Go, Go, Go'
Trevin Gradney Keeps Getting Better, Griz Football Keeps Getting Bigger
Trevin Gradney isn’t thinking about his legacy. Not yet.
Not while he’s still busy building it.
“For us, every day is go, go, go,” said the Montana Grizzly decorated senior cornerback. “So, I haven’t really been able to reflect much yet.”
Still, Gradney admits he occasionally marvels at how far he’s come. Now in his sixth year at Montana (after receiving an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic) the Billings native has matured into both a standout player and an integral leader for a program that only continues to grow in popularity.
It would seem neither Gradney, nor the Griz themselves have yet reached their ceiling.
Montana set records for season ticket sales and consecutive sellouts this year and boasts a decades-long waiting list for luxury boxes. Washington-Grizzly Stadium is the premier destination in the Football Championship Subdivision and despite multiple expansions over the years, its 25,000-plus seat capacity can barely contain the ever-increasing crowds.
In 2024, donors came together to fully fund a new Grizzly Indoor Practice Facility, which adds to a facilities upgrade that in recent years has included its Champions Center athletic training hub and a new field surface installation.
Gradney said it was those great facilities and his chemistry with coaches that enticed him to UM in 2019. After earning an undergraduate degree in marketing, he’s now finishing a master’s in business administration, while anchoring the Grizzlies’ defensive backfield.
Along the way he’s become an “Academic Heisman” semifinalist, a Walter Camp All-America team and multi-time all-Big Sky Conference team selection, and is acknowledged as one of the best corners in the FCS. In 2023, his five interceptions tied for fourth most in the nation as he helped power Montana to a national championship game appearance.
Perhaps most importantly, this season he wears No. 37, the number traditionally awarded to a Montana native who best personifies Grizzly spirit.
So whether he’s ready to think about it or not, Gradney is going to leave a legacy.
“I just try to be the best version of myself that I can be,” he said. “I learned from a lot of great guys that came before me. I strive to live up to that every day.”