Billings native Clay Oven to wear Montana Grizzlies' legacy No. 37

MISSOULA — There’s something magic about the Magic City.

The Montana Grizzly chosen to carry on the legacy No. 37 jersey tradition will once again hail from Billings.

On Monday, former Grizzly cornerback and Billings native Trevin Gradey announced that his choice for the next player to wear UM’s storied legacy number is sophomore linebacker and fellow Billings native Clay Oven. Gradney is a graduate of West High in Billings, while Oven hails from Central.

“It was a really cool experience to be the first one from Billings to wear the number last year and I’m very honored to pass it to another Billings guy because this is a great place. A lot of great kids come from Billings and it’s a special place for both of us. Clay is a good guy, I think this town deserves another 37, and I think he deserves to wear it,” said Gradney.

Oven is now the 19th player to wear the No. 37 jersey since the tradition began in the early 1980s. With three years of eligibility remaining, he’s also the first underclassman to wear the jersey in over a decade when Carson Bender of Deer Lodge held it from 2008-10.

“When Levi (Janacaro) passed it to me, he said he wanted someone who always kept his head down, put in the work, never complained, and just did all the right things. I thought along the same lines when I was looking for the next guy to wear it, and Clay embodies everything I think the jersey stands for,” Gradney added.

“I’ve watched him from afar and you see how guys go about doing things. I always admired how he went about his business. I can't say enough about just how good of a person he is, how good of a teammate he is, and how good of a person he will be, both on and off the field. I think he's going to be a fantastic player for the Montana Grizzlies.”

Oven also adds to the long list of Grizzly linebackers to wear the number. Of the 18 former players to carry on the legacy, Oven is the seventh ‘backer to receive the honor — the most of any position group on the team.

“This means a ton. The legacy and the people of the whole state of Montana it represents, I don't think there are very many higher honors for kids who grow up in Montana. It’s kind of the pinnacle of what you hope to achieve, so it’s an honor to represent the program and the state. I’m super happy and super honored,” Oven said.

Behind Gradney, Oven is just the second player from Billings to wear the number.

“(Gradney) and I were both saying 37 is such a good representation of our hometown. To grow up there when we were little and play football there, and then to be able to look back and represent it again from here in Missoula, it's awesome, and it’s awesome for Billings,” Oven added.

“I love the people there. Everybody's very supportive. If kids are going off to play college sports, the whole town backs you and you can feel that. So, it's really comforting and it's an honor to represent them.”

The No. 37 tradition began its legacy in 1983 when Griz fullback and Plentywood native Kraig Paulson passed the number to Tim Hauck, then a younger player on the squad from Big Timber who was also known for his hard-nosed play and workman mentality.

The number has since come to represent the spirit of Montana — hard work, dedication to the team and tough play on the gridiron.

Gradney was one of the top corners in FCS football as a two-year starter, wearing the legacy number for his senior season.

An All-American on the field and in the classroom, he was a semifinalist for the "Academic Heisman" (The William V. Campbell Trophy), led the nation in interceptions for most of his junior year and was third in the Big Sky Conference in passes defended as a senior. He finished his career at UM as a three-time all-conference honoree and a three-time Academic All-Big Sky pick.

Oven has emerged as a future star for the Grizzlies both on the field and in the classroom during his first two seasons in Missoula.

He was named the team’s co-defensive scout team player of the year as a true freshman in 2023, and in 2024 he appeared in 13 games as a redshirt freshman, logging two tackles. He posted his first career solo tackle against Cal Poly.

Following the 2024 season he earned Academic All-Big Sky honors and was recently named UM’s co-winner of the President’s Award for the student-athlete with the top overall GPA in Grizzly Athletics, carrying a 4.0 as he pursues a degree in criminology.

When his time at Montana comes to an end, he will choose the next to wear the number in keeping the player-to-player tradition alive.

Montana’s Legacy No. 37 Tradition