The mental struggles outweighed the physical pain until one day, Mark Estes decided he would not let one injury ruin his dreams.
The Flint Creek (Drummond-Phillipsburg co-op) star began receiving interest from Montana State after attending MSU’s individual football camp the June before his junior season. That interest piqued when Estes scored six touchdowns in Flint Creek’s season opener in September of 2016.
Late in that opening contest against Twin Bridges, disaster struck. The do-everything quarterback tore his ACL in his right knee, ending his junior season and putting his aspirations of playing Division I football on hold.
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“It was pretty devastating,” Estes said in an interview with Skyline Sports in mid-July. “I was worried at first. It took me probably two months to get back mentally. I needed to get back on track to know I could get through this. The first two months were really hard.”
The common prognosis from an ACL tear is a full year before the afflicted feels at full strength. Estes acknowledges now that the first few months were brutal, first in dealing with the physical pain, then with overcoming the mental obstacles of rehab.
One day while doing physical therapy, Estes decided to conquer the frustrations head on. He refused to miss his junior track season and refused to let the injury derail him. Through determination, he plowed through every obstacle and returned to full athletic form in remarkable fashion.
“After three months, I knew I was going to return 100 percent or more,” Estes said. “I refused to believe anything else.”
Three months after his injury, Estes began running and training. Just seven months after suffering the torn ligament, he swept the sprints at the Class C state track championships, winning the 100 meters, the 200 meters and the 400 meters.
The return to full form reinvigorated Estes personally and reignited his recruitment statewide. A little over a month after the state track meet, Montana State extended a scholarship offer to be a part of Jeff Choate’s third recruiting class. Estes wasted little time, giving his verbal commitment to the Bobcat football team a day after Independence Day.
“I liked the coaching staff a lot, which was big for me,” Estes said. “I appreciated that they kept talking to me even with my injury. I love the stadium. I love Bozeman too.”
Estes was a two-year starter and two-time Class C all-state selection during his time as Flint Creek’s quarterback despite playing just one game last season. As a sophomore, Estes threw for 801 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 902 yards and 17 more touchdowns in just nine games of action.
After tearing his ACL, Estes said he didn’t “really go through rehab at a clinic. I basically did it myself.” He trained consistently with Andrew Verlanic, a former Montana State defensive end who is also a native of Drummond. Estes said he only went to the local clinic once or twice a month and did not attend a full-time physical therapist.
The self-rehab proved to be a success. The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder proved his full health at the Laurel Sports Complex in May. Estes ran 11.09 seconds in the 100-meter prelims and 11.53 to win the 100 gold. Estes ran 23.11 in the 200 prelims and 22.97 in the finals to win. Estes ran 50.39 in the 400 finals for his third first place. His times in the 200 and 400 were personal bests. He ran 11.07 in the 100 earlier last spring.
“It did a lot, gave me a lot of confidence I can beat defenses still and (the injury) didn’t really slow me down,” Estes said. “I’m actually faster than I was previously. Track gave me a boost that I still have the speed I use on the field.”
His performances in the sprints added to his haul of gold medals. Estes was the Class C triple jump champion as a sophomore, a performance that sparked his recruitment by college track programs. He contemplated going that rout but loves football most. He chose Montana State over scholarship offers from Montana Tech and Carroll College. Montana lightly recruited Estes, calling him once and texting him “a couple of times” but did not extend a solid offer.
“I’ve talked to some of the Montana State players and they really like Coach Choate, how he does it, how he runs the program,” Estes said. “Coach Choate is a good recruiter and (director of high school relations) B.J. Robertson is a great recruiter. He actually recruited by brother (Cade Estes) to Dillon when B.J. was still (the head coach) at Montana Western so I was comfortable with (Robertson).”
Earlier this summer, Estes moved with his mother, Staci, to Kalispell where he will spend his senior season. He will play wide receiver and cornerback at recent perennial power Glacier High, the two positions he could play in college. Montana State has recruited Estes as an athlete. During MSU’s most recent individual camp in Bozeman in June, the Bobcats worked Estes out as a wide receiver and a cornerback as well.
“I’m really excited about it,” Estes said of his transfer. “I’ve already worked out with the team. We do skeleton (7-on-7 variation) every Wednesday. It will be fun. We should be good. We have a lot of good players.”
Estes added he is enthused to play various positions and hone his “11-man mindset” during his final season of high school football.
The last name Estes is a famous one in the realm of Montana athletics with the most revered bearer being former Anaconda standout Wayne Estes, an All-American at Utah State and top NBA Draft pick before his untimely death in 1965. The name has carried reverence around Montana since but Mark Estes is of no relation to that clan. His father still lives in Texas while his mother has no family ties to the Treasure State.
Through the trials of a serious injury and a transfer to a AA school, Estes has secured a chance to carve out his own legacy in Montana. He will try his hand at 11-man football for a program gunning for its fourth title game appearance and second state title in five years before embarking on the new challenges of Division I football.
“It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders because now I can just go play and not really worry about it,” Estes said. “It means a lot to get this chance, a big deal coming back from my injury. Right after surgery, I couldn’t do anything. But at three months, I knew I would get back. My friends and family have helped me a lot so to come back and get this chance is pretty cool.”
[/restrict]Photos courtesy of Estes family. All Rights Reserved.
