For 15 seniors, the waiting began that day: for graduation, for jobs, for a life after football. Or, for a shot at the next level. For some who have a shot at the NFL, this weekend could mark the end of that waiting period.
It is unlikely that a Montana athlete will be picked when the NFL draft commences today at 6 p.m. and the same is probably true of Friday's rounds. But during the last four rounds, picked on Saturday, several Grizzlies will have a stake in the televised action.
"I'm going to be in front of that TV biting my fingernails the whole time," said defensive back Jimmy Wilson, one of three or four Grizzlies listed as prospects on draft boards ranging from Sports Illustrated to ESPN.