A lot of FCS players chasing the NFL dream share the same story. Overlooked and under-recruited coming out of high school, they developed in college and made FBS programs wonder how they missed on them. That's not the case for Montana State defensive end Bryce Sterk. But he did have to overcome adversity to put himself in the position he's in as a potential draft pick.
Sterk was a three-star high school recruit, the 14th-ranked prospect in Washington and the No. 126 defensive end in the nation by ESPN. He committed to Washington after creating a strong bond with his main recruiter and UW defensive line coach Jeff Choate. The first few years didn't go as planned, though.
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He redshirted in 2015 and in December of that year, Jeff Choate accepted the head coaching job at Montana State. Sterk played in one game in 2016 and didn't see any game action in 2017. He decided to transfer, sending transfer forms to several schools including Montana State. MSU contacted him almost immediately and Sterk ultimately chose to be a Bobcat and reunite with Choate.
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The physical tools and football knowledge were already there when he arrived in Bozeman. The missing ingredient that Sterk desperately needed back was his confidence.
"It was a fresh mindset," Sterk told HERO Sports. "Coach Choate told me you can do really well here. You just have to believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. That was huge for me. At Washington, I learned a lot about football and was working hard. But at that point, I was so far down the depth chart it didn't really make a difference. So a breath of fresh air and having Choate build my confidence was a big deal for me."
Finally given the opportunity to show what he can do on game day, Sterk was rejuvenated, playing with a relentless motor and like a man possessed.
In 2018, he led the Big Sky Conference with 17 tackles for loss and ranked second with 8.5 sacks. In 2019, Sterk totaled 65 tackles, including 20 TFLs (tied for eighth in the FCS) and 15 sacks (tied for second in the FCS). He earned HERO Sports Second Team All-American honors.
At 6-foot-5 and 261 pounds, NFL scouts took notice.
After a dominant senior season, Sterk was invited to play at the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he said he made a lot of connections with NFL teams. He's currently training in Denver leading up to his Pro Day. Showing explosiveness, agility and speed will be key for him to solidify his draft status.
Draft Scout views Sterk as a fringe Day 3 pick and Draft Site likes him as a sixth-rounder.
"It's pretty cool to be in the shoes I'm in," Sterk said. "It's always been a dream to play in the NFL, but to actually go through the steps and work for what you wanted for so long is pretty surreal."
It wasn't an easy or conventional path for Sterk to get to this point. But it also never hurts to have a source of motivation.
"I try not to act out of revenge or anything like that, but it gives a little a chip on my shoulder," Sterk said. "Some people may view me as I went to a small school and that's why I put good numbers. But I believe I did really well at the Shrine Game against some of the top players from the top conferences. So I think it'll be a bigger surprise on draft day or going into camps for people who think I had it easy at the FCS level."
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