BOZEMAN — Leo Davis likens the game of football to a kind of hand-to-hand combat contested on a modern-day battleground.
It's a very real analogy for Davis, a former Montana State offensive lineman who is now a color analyst on the Bobcat radio network and — most importantly — a member of the Lakota and Blackfeet Indian tribes.
"It's blood, sweat and tears and putting your body on the line for your brothers," Davis told MTN Sports last week, "but also, too, for your family that made all the sacrifices to make your dreams come true."
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When No. 3 Montana State lines up against Big Sky rival and No. 9-ranked UC Davis in a nationally televised game Saturday night, the team will wear special helmet decals to honor Native American Heritage Month.
The decals were designed by MSU's American Indian Council and adhered to the helmet shells by longtime equipment manager Justin Jessop.
Davis, a Billings Skyview High School alum, played for the Bobcats from 2007-11 under coach Rob Ash and was a part of two Big Sky Conference championship teams.
He said the main logo — the original Bobcat-head design encircled by Native American symbols — and center stripe have specific meaning. All of it represents the plains tribes of Montana.
"Those prism designs, those are very geometrical, and they have their own sacred significance. Our triangle is the strongest force in geometry. The concept behind sturdiness and togetherness," Davis said. "And as far as other tribes are concerned, some of those dots could represent the stars. And for me, being Piikani, you see these on our lodges, and those are the stars that came down to earth to help out humanity, kind of like our guardian angel. So I think it's a beautiful thing.
"That feature, the representation of the eagle feather, a young man would do certain deeds to be able to prove (himself) as a man. So that representation is also significant for what these young men do on that football field. They're going to battle. The racing stripe down the middle, different tribes have their own interpretations. But it has its own intricate power.
"We call this place the valley of the flowers. Everything in this valley provided healing and provided life. This is where my people lived life since time immemorial."
During his Monday press conference, Montana State coach Brent Vigen said there is an educational aspect to the Bobcats wearing these special helmets.
The team, Vigen said, was scheduled to visit MSU's American Indian Council on campus on Tuesday.
"It's one thing to have a theme game, it's one thing to maybe change your appearance, your look — whether it's your jersey or your helmet — but do you really understand what you're representing? That's the biggest piece for me," Vigen said.
"Our state certainly has a strong Native American presence, and it means so much to different places across Montana. For us to shine a light on that heritage and really honor that heritage is what this opportunity is all about."
Jessop returned to MSU as equipment manager two years ago but has been on the staff at different times under coaches Mike Kramer, Ash, Jeff Choate and now Vigen.
Jessop said the Bobcats will wear all-blue uniforms to accompany the alternate helmet on Saturday night. But the decals will have the most relevance. Jessop gave MTN Sports a sneak peek of the helmets inside MSU's equipment room last Friday.
"This one's pretty cool because it recognizes the people that are a big part of our culture, our state, our university, and it recognizes what they've done for us. So I'm really excited to be able to do this one," Jessop said.
But he also has another objective.
"A sticker is a sticker, a helmet-to-helmet, as long as my guys come out safe," Jessop said. "I love doing the work. The pride is knowing that the guys look good, but the guys are safe. That's more important to me.
"It will be cool. It really will be cool. I'm excited for it. But in the end, nobody knows it's me. They see the guys wearing it and it's the coaches' idea. So that's where the credit needs to go."
Saturday's game against UC Davis is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. Mountain Time and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
The Bobcats (8-2, 6-0) and Aggies (7-2, 5-1) are in the hunt for the Big Sky crown, so the game is special just in terms of what's at stake. The Cats are looking for their ninth straight win to help set up what could be a winner-take-all matchup with archrival Montana on Nov. 22.
But there will be even more significance attached to it with the nod to First Peoples and original inhabitants of this ancient land.
"Yeah, man, it's going to mean a lot," Davis said. "There was so much done to eradicate who we were. Forced assimilation, the genocides ... I don't want to hit hard on that, but I want to also recognize that we're resilient and we're here and we're going to be here and we welcome everybody to our home. I'm glad everybody gets to see that, especially on national television."
