BOZEMAN — From college to the pros, nothing has ever been handed to Ty Okada.
He joined Montana State's football program back in 2017 as a walk-on, making an impact on special teams before eventually working his way into a starting role in the secondary where he delivered plenty of big plays at safety for the Bobcats.
Then, after a standout showing during his Pro Day — including a 40.5-inch vertical leap — he earned an opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2023 season.
And just like with the Bobcats, Okada was driven to make the most of his chance in the NFL.
Hear from Ty Okada:
"When I got my opportunity with Seattle, I just thought back to that moment," Okada said at Super Bowl LX's media day. "I thought, 'This is no different than when I first walked onto campus at Montana State.' The same mentality of, 'Hey, I have my foot in the door. That's all I've ever needed and that's all I need now.'"
That "foot in the door" attitude saw Okada spend much of the 2023 and 2024 seasons on Seattle's practice squad before earning a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the 2025 season. He's started 11 games this season, racked up 45 solo tackles and had an interception against the Washington Commanders in Week 9.
Long before suiting up for the Super Bowl — where the NFC champion Seahawks will face the AFC champion New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. — he was working his way up Montana State's depth chart. And he credited his time with the Bobcats and in the Big Sky Conference with helping set him up for future success.
"I think about my time there and we put so much focus on football, but also in the Big Sky, a lot of it is just real-life stuff, as well," said Okada. "You're not always expecting to make it to the NFL, so the relationships you're able to build off the field as well as on the field and in the locker room ... how you interact with professors and how you interact with teammates and coaches.
"I just have so much love for the Big Sky and what it's taught me not only on the field but off it."
