BILLINGS — It was a seemingly trivial moment during Taco Dowler's one-on-one interview with MTN Sports during the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Wash.
Dowler was asked to reveal something about himself that his teammates (or anyone else) might be surprised to learn.
"My teammates ...," Dowler said, thinking for a moment. Then he perked up. "Me and (twin brother) Caden are both colorblind."
Come again?
Colorblindness isn't an all-too-uncommon condition. According to the National Eye Institute, roughly 1 in 12 men in the U.S. have some sort of color vision deficiency, which is characterized simply as difficulty in differentiating between certain colors.
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And while Taco Dowler said he and his brother are not totally color blind, it's an affliction they deal with every day. In Spokane, Dowler was explaining how he couldn't quite ascertain between the various patterns lining the carpet of The Pavilion at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino.
Most affected individuals don't have problems with every day activities — much less football. But can they? According to Dowler, you bet.
"The Weber (State) game last year was pretty difficult, like punt returning," Taco Dowler stated. "But I think it was difficult for everyone because it was our camo(flauge), our digital camo navy jerseys.
"I don't even know what color they were wearing, honestly. But it looked similar to ours, especially when it's punt returning. It's chaos, and you don't know who's on your team or not."
That's interesting, because the brothers — both products of Billings West High School — have been impeccable on the field since their youth. And both put up huge seasons during Montana State's national championship run in 2025.
Taco Dowler was one of the most dangerous playmakers in the FCS last season, hauling in 77 passes for 1,025 yards and seven touchdowns while earning All-America honors and first-team All-Big Sky recognition.
Whether lined up at receiver or returning punts, he routinely delivered game-changing moments for the Bobcats throughout their title run, with his 87-yard touchdown catch in the semifinals against Montana and his fourth-down TD reception in overtime in the championship game against Illinois State as the proof.
Caden Dowler anchored Montana State’s secondary with a big season at safety. He finished with 90 total tackles and six interceptions — two of which he returned for touchdowns.
His interception return for a TD in the regular-season finale against Montana helped secure a crucial 31-28 victory and home-field advantage through semifinal round of the playoffs.
So for the Dowlers, distinguishing colors might be an issue. For everyone else, distinguishing their talent is not.
