True Griz fan will watch his team from above

This week, the annual Brawl of the Wild will split the state of Montana. There will be those cheering for the Montana Grizzlies and those cheering for the Montana State Bobcats. Each team has their share of diehard fans that either bleed maroon and silver or blue and gold. Recently the Hi-line lost a young man who was a diehard Griz fan.

Harlem’s Tyler Faulkinberry loved the Montana Grizzlies since he was a little boy. Both he and I, his sister, have been fans since we were born as both our parents graduated from the University of Montana in the late 1980s. Tyler loved to defend his Grizzlies in their good years and in their not so good years. He and many of his Bobcat friends would use social media like Facebook to air out their trash talking which provided great entertainment to all who read it.

Tyler was a Class B All-State center and linebacker for the Harlem Wildcats and went on to play center in the Montana East/West Shrine game. His teammate and great friend, Rick Haluszka, became a Bobcat a year later. That still didn’t change Tyler’s allegiance to the Grizzlies. Tyler would cheer for Rick, but being the diehard Griz fan he was, he couldn’t bring himself to cheer for the Bobcats.

Tyler was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in February. At the end of February he was flown to Seattle to have colonic stents put in to avoid obstruction and then started chemotherapy every other week in Billings. In May he found out that he was in remission, so he and his wife, Jasmine, decided to get season tickets to the Griz football games. They were so looking forward to keeping the cancer at bay and attending every home Griz game.

However, in early August the cancer was back and was no longer responding to the chemotherapy. Tyler was not able to use his season tickets as he was in and out of the hospital until he passed away Oct. 18. So many people on the Hi-line and around the state supported Tyler and his family and followed his battle on the “We Will Fight This Together, Tyler Faulkinberry” Facebook page. Tyler became a hero to so many as he fought this battle with courage, grace, and his smile.

This Saturday, Tyler’s family will go to the Griz/Cat game. They will cheer their hearts out for the Montana Grizzlies to honor Tyler’s passion for football, but more importantly to honor his passion and zest for life.