Big Sky Conference

Folsom, LaBoy retire from MSU football

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Kane Ioane’s departure to Washington overshadowed the news of the end of two football careers at Montana State.

On Tuesday, the same day Jeff Choate met with the media to talk about Bozeman’s favorite son heading to Seattle, MSU’s head coach also announced that senior defensive end Shiloh LaBoy and senior offensive guard Monte Folsom were retiring.

MSU offensive lineman Monte Folsom (54) vs. Western Oregon in 2016

MSU offensive lineman Monte Folsom (54) vs. Western Oregon in 2016

Choate said Folsom, a Dillon native who signed with MSU in February of 2011 before spending two years on a Mormon mission, needs one class in the summer to earn his degree in business management. Choate said LaBoy is on track to earn his sociology degree. Both will remain on full scholarship until graduating.

Click here for the audio of Jeff Choate’s interview on Folsom, LaBoy retirement

The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Folsom had an atypical career. Folsom earned Class A Defensive MVP as a middle linebacker in 2011. He went on a two-year LDS mission, returning to MSU in 2013 and redshirting. He played linebacker for the beginning of 2014 before moving to defensive tackle. Before the 2015 season, Folsom switched to offensive line.

MSU offensive lineman Monte Folsom (54)

MSU offensive lineman Monte Folsom (54)

In 2016, Folsom blossomed, earning MSU’s starting right guard position. He started 10 of 11 games for an offense that rushed for 212 yards per game. He missed one start because of an ankle injury, but Choate said he retired due to chronic back pain.

“Monte, it was a very tough decision for him,” Choate said. “I know because I sat with him on a couple of different occasions over the last two weeks. I know how much this program means to him being a Montana kid, having his brother (sophomore safety Ben) in the program. I know he loves his o-line brothers.

“It was just to the point where it was a struggle for him to do a lot of things. He’s a return LDS missionary but even at 24, 25 years old, his body was feeling like a 45 or 50-year-old guy. His concern was that he could probably do it but there would be some sacrifices long term he would have to make. When he talked to his family, he decided he was going to step away from the game and finish his education.”

MSU defensive end Shilo LaBoy (2)

MSU defensive end Shilo LaBoy (2)

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound LaBoy was one of seven transfers brought in by former head coach Rob Ash and his staff in the 2015 recruiting class. The cousin of former NFL defensive end Travis LaBoy from Honolulu, Hawaii spent a season at Scottsdale Community College and another at the College of Redwoods before transferring to MSU.

LaBoy battled injuries for both his seasons in Bozeman. He played sparingly in 10 games, notching three tackles and half a sack in 2015. Last season, he had five tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry in MSU’s 20-17 loss at Idaho. He played four plays the following week against Bryant before being shut down for the rest of the season.

“Shiloh is an unfulfilled promise in a lot of ways, really disappointing for him because the kid is a really good football player and I know he loves the game,” Choate said.

MSU buck end Shilo Laboy (2)

MSU buck end Shilo Laboy (2)

“It was evident after trying to play through some things last spring, trying to play through some things early in the year — he really only played a game and four reps last year but even in that limited time, you could tell the type of potential he had as a player. But for what’s best for him and his future, it was time for him to walk away from football.”

Montana State resumes spring drills on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Bobcat Stadium.

Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved. 

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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