MISSOULA — Nick Ostmo is running it back for one final season with the Montana football team.
The 6-foot, 221-pound running back decided to use his COVID waiver to return for a sixth year with the Griz. He had previously chosen to hang up his cleats a year early due to a history of injuries in high school and college.
“It was really probably a two-minute conversation,” Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said about their offseason talk. “It was just a matter of there isn’t any pickup football. When you’re done, you’re done. You got to be sure that you want to be done. He went home, thought about it and decided he was not tired of football.”
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Now back, Ostmo will add a veteran presence to what is looking like a loaded room of rushers. He’ll join reigning FCS freshman of the year Eli Gillman, Arizona transfer Stevie Rocker Jr. and emerging freshman Malae Fonoti.
Ostmo enters the year ranked 10th in UM history in rushing yards (1,856) and rushing touchdowns (21). The Portland native has also tallied 519 receiving yards and three TD catches while playing in 43 games and starting 13 times.
“It’s going to help us a lot,” Gillman said of Ostmo returning. “Having him back is amazing. He’s been here longer than I have. He’s taught me almost everything I know besides (running backs) coach (Justin) Green. It’s great to have him back.”
Ostmo sat down with 406 MT Sports during fall camp to delve into his decision to play in 2024. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: How does it feel to be back on the football field?
A: “It’s a little weird. It’s taken a little bit of time to get used to it. I had the mindset on going to work and now it’s just back into it. It’s another year, just kind of the same thing. I know what I’m doing. I know what I’m supposed to do. Just going and doing it now.”
Q: When did the thought of coming back start creeping into your mind?
A: “There were a lot of moving pieces. Coaches started talking to me the week of North Dakota State (FCS semifinal game), so it was pretty late in the season. Coach (Brent) Pease and coach Green talked to me first and then coach Hauck talked to me after we won that game.
“Then it went into my roommates planned on filling my spot in the house. I was making arrangements to move home. I didn’t have any classes ready to go for the spring. Then when I decided to come back, it’s because my roommates didn’t fill that spot and it’s because I hadn’t made those arrangements yet and I was able to get into those classes and it wasn’t too late to do all that. It all kind of just worked out good and thank God everything worked out smoothly.”
Q: How did those conversations with the coaches go?
A: “It was kind of a surprise because we have a lot of young talent. For them to ask me like, ‘Hey, we’d want you to come back if that’s something you’d want to do,’ it was pretty cool to me. It was kind of them saying, ‘Hey, you haven’t gotten injured this year, we know it’s because you’ve gotten injured a lot and that’s kind of your reasoning for hanging it up.’ Kind of talked with my family about that and it just kind of worked out. In my mind, it just kind of clicked. It was like, ‘Yeah, I should probably do this again.'”
Q: When did you talk with your family?
A: “Just over those two days for Christmas that we got. Talked to my parents about it.”
Q: So you knew before the championship game you were leaning toward returning?
A: “Also, the championship game was a big factor in it. Winning that game, it still would have been sad playing my last game, but it would have been a good note to leave it on. Losing that game, you want to win that last one and it kind of made me want to fight to get back there.”
Q: When you made up your mind to return, how did it feel to tell your coaches and teammates?
A: “I think I decided two days after the championship game. I didn’t really announce it. I just told my roommates. I was with (running back) Eli (Gillman) when I called coach Green and was like, ‘Hey, is it too late to get my spot back?’ He said, ‘No, call coach Hauck.’ I called coach Hauck and he’s like, ‘Yeah, we’d love to have you.’ He told me all about how he was right about work’s not that fun and playing football is more fun than work.”
Q: But you never started work, right?
A: “I was still in Missoula. I was still on the fence. I hadn’t packed up any of my stuff. I had already made up my mind right after the game, but I didn’t really vocalize it.”
Q: So you never really got out of football shape then. How was it going through spring camp and summer workouts?
A: “It was good. Got a new guy in (Stevie Rocker Jr.). That’s been good. It’s been fun hanging out with him and meeting all the other transfers. It’s a blast hanging out with these guys. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”
Q: What are your expectations now for your official final season?
A: “Just staying healthy, picking up off where I was last year and bringing the younger guys up. I’ve always prided myself on being physical and hard to tackle, being a guy that will pick up pass pro and do all that stuff. Then cheering on Eli (Gillman) here again. Should be a good year.”
Frank Gogola is the Senior Sports Reporter at the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. Follow him on X @FrankGogola or email him at frank.gogola@406mtsports.com.
