Laurel’s Aby follows father to Carroll

Tuesday, on the same field, another Aby roamed, preparing for a season 25 days away.

Nicknamed “The Minister of Defense” by the Helena Independent Record, Bart played middle linebacker and captained Carroll College’s defense in the mid-1980s. Bart overlapped with Purcell, meeting him on the practice field when Carroll’s current head coach was a scout team running back.

He played in the first-ever NAIA postseason football game in Montana (1985) and was tabbed Outstanding Defensive Player in Carroll’s 1986 victory over Dickinson State, the first playoff victory by a Frontier Conference program.

Eli, Bart’s son, grew up listening to Bob Petrino stories and about the good ole days of Saints football, soaking up, in Eli’s words, how special it is to be a Carroll player.

This spring, Eli ended his tenure at Montana State and phoned Purcell about becoming a Saint, one of many coaches who recruited him out of high school.

“There really wasn’t another option, to be honest,” Eli said. “When I decided to leave, it was pretty much [because] I wanted to come here and nowhere else.”

An All-State quarterback at Laurel, Eli threw for the second-most single-season yards in school history during a state championship-winning senior campaign while also playing safety.

Eli rarely saw action at MSU, though, but made a transition from defensive back to a position that’s in his blood following his second fall in Bozeman.

Weighing 180 pounds as a high school senior, Eli left MSU at 210 pounds. He is currently listed on Carroll’s roster at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and worked Tuesday with the Saints’ second-team defense. He retains three seasons of eligibility.

“It’s cool,” Eli said. “I always wanted to play linebacker in high school. I couldn’t because I played quarterback…

“In college, I wasn’t quite big enough right away. It’s kinda always been a goal of mine to play that [position]. I’m glad I’m finally doing it.”

Eli is one of seven NCAA Division I transfers to join Carroll’s roster for 2024.

Asher Croy (University of Montana) will fight for reps at running back, as will Xzavier Ford (Houston Christian). Hogan Carmichael (University of Idaho) is currently Carroll’s No. 3 quarterback, and defensive lineman Rocky Shields (Washington State) and linebacker Brett Tommasini (Boise State) are expected to play. Jack Thompson (New Mexico State) will compete for the Saints’ punting job.

You’d be hard-pressed to find an NAIA program with a richer linebacker history than Carroll, just stroll the halls of Nelson Stadium where the first-team All-Americans are enshrined.

Bart was on the cutting edge of that.

“[Carroll] has been a place that’s always had a special place in my heart,” Eli said. “I’m just glad to finally get here.”