For Montana senior linebacker Jordan Tripp, playing football for the Grizzlies is more than just football, it’s the continuation of a family tradition and the living out of a boyhood dream.

Growing up in Missoula, Montana was a journey for Tripp. At an early, he battled and overcame a stuttering problem. He also helped out his grandfather on his ranch and his dad in his shop. He’s a classic Montana kid that loves the outdoors, almost as much as he loves Montana University football.

To fully understand the impact that playing for Montana has on Tripp, you have to dive into his family tree. Tripp is a third generation Grizzlies as his father and grandfather also played for Montana. As a boy growing up in Missoula, Tripp often went to Montana University football games.

“I went to Montana games all the time as a kid. I knew right from an early age that playing football for Montana was something I wanted to do,” Tripp told me in an interview. “When I got that offer prior to my senior year of high school, I accepted it on the spot.”

Football is a family affair for the Tripps. On game day, the whole family comes out to support Jordan. “I’ve got a big family and basically 99-percent of them live in Missoula,” he said. “On game days, I’ve got plenty of family support in the stands.”

When Tripp is not on the field making plays, he’s in the community inspiring young people that often remind him of himself. You can find him speaking at pee-wee football camps and banquets as well as any other community function he can attend. Whenever a call comes in from the local hospital requesting a visit from someone’s favorite Montana football player, Tripp is quick to answer the call and make a visit.

“I love going and talking to young kids because that’s what made me want to come to Montana when I was a boy and those players talked to me,” said Tripp. “The impact that you can have in some little boys life just by spending 30 minutes with him is really special.”

There are many things that Tripp will miss about Montana when the final whistle blows and he begins his NFL journey. There’s the locker room camaraderie, the daily life and routine of being a Montana football player, but there’s one thing that Tripp will miss most about being a Grizzlies and it has nothing to do with what’s on the field.

“I’m going to miss the community and not being able to make an impact on them everyday.”

Brian Skinnell is a freelance sports writer for www.RantSports.com and contributor at Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter and add him to your network on Google.

To learn more about Jordan Tripp on the football field, I invite you to read Gil Alcaraz IV scouting report on him.