HELENA — Nearly 1,700 days ago, Bozeman’s Asher Croy torched Butte High for 333 yards, three scores, and a Class AA state championship in what turned out to be his foreseeable final game at running back.
This fall, when Croy steps onto Carroll College’s sparkling turf football field in a countable contest, that clock stops.
“This is a super competitive team, that’s one of the draws that brought me here,” Croy said. “I’m super excited to contribute to a team again and actually be able to play in a large capacity…
“I wanna help the team be better, any way I can.”
Croy (6-foot, 225 pounds) was born in Wyoming and a standout at Huntley Project and Bozeman High. He was All-State at Class B as a junior (2173 yards, 32 TDs) and Class AA as a senior (1282 yards, 14 TDs).
People are also reading…
Croy entered the portal in late-April as a graduate transfer from the University of Montana.
A linebacker throughout four years in Missoula, Croy appeared in just one game, and as this spring rolled around, he felt burnt out at a position he wasn’t as skilled.
That changed when Croy was pulled from linebacker meetings this spring to rejoin the running backs. What followed was, in Croy’s estimation, the best spring workouts and spring game of his collegiate career.
Success reminded Croy how much fun football was, breathing life into a career that could’ve ended prematurely.
Bozeman’s Asher Croy runs into the end zone for a touchdown during their state semifinal game against Missoula Sentinel at Missoula County Stadium in 2019. The Hawks defeated the Spartans, 28-21, to advance to the state championship.
So, at 23 years old, reenergized about football, with a history degree in hand, and marriage to Griz tennis player Ivayla Mitkova somewhere on the horizon, Croy began exploring his options.
Carroll, he said, was the first school to reach out after he entered the portal, and as May dawned, Croy liked what he saw on a trip to Helena enough to commit.
Croy visited his fiancée’s family in Bulgaria this spring before joining Carroll for off-season workouts earlier this month. On-field activities, inside the Saints’ newly-enhanced Nelson Stadium, could begin as early as this week.
With two years of eligibility remaining, Croy plans to take his playing career semester-by-semester.
“I think it’s as good as it’s been in a very long time,” Croy said of his love and passion for football. “I finally feel like I have a role on the team where I can directly contribute…
Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!
