Where are they now: Karl Stein

Jake Grilley
GameDay Kaimin

Karl Stein knew what he had to do if he needed to gain more respect from the students in his middle school art class.
He would tell the students to go over to the computer to search for Montana Grizzly football records on the Internet.
“My students didn’t think I played for the Grizzlies,” Stein said. “They just thought I was a doofy looking art teacher.”
Stein said his students came away from the computer with a newfound respect for their instructor, the Grizzlies’ all-time leader in interceptions.
Stein excelled as a free safety at Montana during the 1969 and 1970 seasons. The Grizzly Hall-of-Famer was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection each of his seasons with the Grizzlies. During his two seasons, Stein set a team record of 21 interceptions and set the single-season interception record at 11. Stein is also Montana’s all-time leader in interception return yards and fifth in all-time punt return yards. Montana went 20-0 during Stein’s two regular seasons with the team.
Stein remembers the Griz fans were particularly captivated by the successes the team had during his tenure.
“We always felt the support from the Missoula community,” Stein said. “They had a tickertape parade down Higgins Avenue after both of our undefeated seasons.”
Even though the team was winning, the coaches instilled a strong work ethic in all the players.
The first practice after every game the coaches would make the players run up to the “M” on Mount Sentinel in full pads, Stein said.
After graduating from UM with an art degree in 1972, Stein found himself in a multitude of artistic professions.
His paintings have been sold in art galleries across Montana and the Northwest. Stein also worked as a professional dancer and actor as well as an art teacher for several years.
Stein has lived on a plot of land near Arlee for the last 34 years. The acreage has allowed him to try his hand at land and forest maintenance along with building two houses on the property.
For Stein, who grew up outside San Francisco, Montana was love at first sight.
“When I first came to Montana in 1968 there was four feet of snow on the ground,” Stein remembered. “I just loved all that snow. It was almost the amount of snow rather than the school.”
Stein did more than just play in the snow when he came to Montana. He was part of two undefeated teams that helped to serve as building blocks for the tradition behind Montana football.
Coaches have told Stein over the years that the team’s level of play during his two seasons helped to bring in better players and established a higher standard for Montana football.
“I think we had a solid effect on the history of football at Montana,” Stein said. “Of course Dave Dickenson had something to do with that as well.”
The only regret Stein has about his football career is that he never played at the professional level.
Stein made the preseason roster of the Los Angeles Rams in the early 1970s and had an interception in his only preseason game. After being released, Stein had the option of trying out for the Denver Broncos or play in Canada.
“Instead I went back to Montana to live in the mountains,” Stein said.
Stein never lost his football hunger. In the early 1980s, many of the players from Stein’s team participated in the football alumni game, in which former Griz would play the varsity squad. The alumni team beat the varsity four years in a row.
“Sometimes I still wish they had the alumni games,” Stein said. “I would put on my wild socks and try to keep up with them.”
Nowadays, Stein spends his time painting – mostly watercolor landscapes – and spending time with his 9-year-old son, Kai.
Stein is currently working on a short story infused with the struggles of an aging athlete.
“I am writing about a 50-year-old who is trying to break the world speed record in sprinting,” Stein said.
Stein said having his name atop the Grizzly record books is a great ego boost for a man entering his late 50s. However, Stein does have one gripe.
“They always get my record wrong; it was 11, then 10, 20 interceptions,” Stein said. “It’s even wrong in the Hall of Champions. I’m trying to get them to change that.”