DILLON — A familiar face was back at Vigilante Field on Wednesday afternoon as Troy Andersen hosted a free youth football camp in Dillon for the second year in a row.
The Atlanta Falcons’ linebacker was an all-state quarterback for Dillon and led the Beavers a Class A state championship as a senior in 2016.
Now playing in the NFL after a college career at Montana State, Andersen has taken the opportunity to give back to the community where he first started playing sports.
“When I was a little kid I liked running around with my buddies and having fun, playing football or just moving around on a great day in the summer. So to be able to come back and hopefully provide that for some kids and get them out of the house and running around, it was good,” Andersen said.
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Campers entering second-eighth grades participated in a series of drills run by Andersen and other counselors that played football at Montana State, Montana Western and Dillon.
After a few hours on the gridiron, Andersen spent over an hour signing autographs for the estimated about 300 campers in attendance. For the kids, it was a chance to meet the man who has become a legend in Dillon.
“Troy has done so much for our community and so much for our sports programs,” Dillon football head coach Zach McRae said. “It’s pretty humbling that he takes his time with a busy schedule to come back and do this, making a free camp.”
“It is just really, really cool and it is really special. As cool as it gets.”
After recording 69 tackles in five starts as a rookie, Andersen suffered a pectoral injury in the third game of the 2023-24 season and missed the rest of the year.
His two years in the NFL has led to some more Falcons fans in the Treasure State as several Atlanta jerseys were seen at the camp, with most sporting Andersen’s name on the back.
“That’s surreal,” Andersen said. “Seeing kids wearing your jersey is pretty special and cool, but it’s still hard to get used to. I think there’s a few more Falcons around Montana, which is cool to see.”
Andersen is set to report to the Falcons’ training camp on July 24 for his third NFL season.
But with his free time in the offseason, Andersen has enjoyed being back in the state where it all began.
“Dillon is where I grew up, but Montana is home, kind of anywhere in the state. To be back in the mountains, with the fresh air and the open skies, is awesome. I love coming back here and try to come back as often as I can,” Andersen said.
“Just the people, the people are special and the place is special.”
Gavin Derkatch is a sports reporter for the Montana Standard. Follow him on twitter @Gderkatch or email him gavin. derkatch@406mtsports.com
