Football

Hadley hopes potential can turn into production

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BOZEMAN — A few weeks ago, Byron Hout couldn’t help but tease Jacob Haldey, the newest member of his defensive line.

“I said, ‘I haven’t seen you pick off a ball yet,’ and he said, ‘Coach, they are scared to throw it to my side,” Hout, Montana State’s third-year defensive line coach, said last month. “That’s what you want. You want them to fear you.”

The fear Hadley can strike into opposing offenses has largely been relegated to fall camp and spring practices during his injury-riddled time at Montana State. The 6-foot-6 raw athlete out of Billings Central came to MSU as a partial scholarship player who head coach Jeff Choate initially thought might play cornerback or wide receiver.

Choate and defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak quickly recognized Hadley’s interest in initiating contact and moved him to strong safety, a spot he played in three games at as a true freshman. But wrist and shoulder injuries ended that 2016 campaign before Big Sky Conference play began, allowing Hadley to take a redshirt. The experience helped him “really learn” the Montana State defense from the back end.

Last spring, Hadley had built himself up physically. His 225-pound frame coupled with a shortage on the second level of the MSU defense caused for him to move Sam linebacker. That position switch enabled All-American Mac Bignell to move to Will linebacker.

Hadley solidified himself as a player both Choate and Gregorak praised frequently without solicitation because of his ability to make plays on both ball carriers and balls in the air. On the final day of spring practice, the potential for Hadley’s redshirt freshman season ended in the blink of an eye.

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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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