As part of Wednesday night's, "Meet the Montana Celebrities" at Ogren Park, Marc Mariani was one of the many former Griz players to find his way back to Missoula.
While in maroon and silver, Mariani led Montana to the 2009 national championship, before ultimately falling short to Villanova.
He still thinks about that game to this day, but now as a member of the Chicago Bears, Mariani hopes to lead another team to great heights.
"Oh man, I think this is going to be a great season. Bears Nation should be stoked on the progress we're making, and where we're heading," said the former Havre Blue Pony. "We were so close to getting over the hump last year, and just the off season we've put in, and the pieces that we added, and things we're doing; I'm so optimistic, especially offensively."
The Bears are heading into their second season under head coach John Fox, but this will be yet another season with a new offensive coordinator.
However, the offense they're running through training camp remains similar, says Mariani. That's not only helping him, but also the rest of the offense.
"You notice a big difference, just between communication, being out on the field and everyone's on the same page. Things are slowing down out there for guys. Like I said, I'm pretty stoked on the way things are going. I'm really thinking there's a big 2016 coming for the Chicago Bears."
As the Bears prepare for their season in the upcoming months, summer is a great time to catch up on the other Chicago sports. Especially the team with the best record in the MLB.
"Oh man, Wrigley Field is just the place to be. I mean in the whole United States, it's the place to be. I'm lucky to be able to experience that, because I just got to the city and haven't had to deal with the heartbreak most of Cubs Nation has felt, so, I'm a bandwagon Chicago fan now in all sports. So go Bulls, go Cubs, and go Bears of course."
Even though he's taking a liking to the best sports city in the country, Mariani doesn't miss a chance to return home.
"Montana in general is my home, it's where my roots are. I come back here as much as I possibly can, but yeah, I mean I miss the people, I miss the communities, I miss the mountains, I miss the fresh air. But that's why it's fun to come back--it's a different style of life out here. To call this place home, it really means a lot, and we try to come back and give as much as we can."
