Montana
'Truly a blessing': Montana's Junior Bergen putting cherry on top of dynamic, record-breaking career
MISSOULA — Junior Bergen was born to play the game of football and, even more, thrive under the bright lights and in the biggest moments.
His career with the Montana Grizzlies has been decorated with unforgettable memories, and it’s something Bergen has built toward his entire life.
James Dobson / MTN Sports
“I really, truly love those moments,” Bergen said. “Some people kind of get a little nervous, and I was always the kid, we’re in the driveway and I’m counting down, 3 … 2 … 1 and buzzer beater, or, I’m running down the sideline, like clock’s running out, my dad’s counting down, like stuff like that, two-minute drills.
“I was always the kid to do that stuff, and that kind of just became who I am.”
Bergen has electrified football fans since he arrived at Montana from Billings Senior High in what’s been a record-breaking career.
It all started in Billings for him, and Bergen remembered picking up a football at the age of 3 and immediately attaching to the game.
“I’m that same kid,” he said. “My mom always says you can always see my face when I was 3 years old in a helmet. Just kind of like just being that same person. It’s just kind of who I’ve always been I guess.”
Like any arriving freshman, Bergen’s eyes were wide when he got to Montana.
That ramped up even more when as a true freshman he spent the season at running back, where he was needed because of injuries to others.
James Dobson/MTN Sports
“And I was like, ‘Holy crap,’” Bergen remembered. “I went right in the locker room and told my dad, and my dad was like, ‘Oh shoot, like, you going to play do you think?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. I don’t see why they’d moved me over if I wasn’t.’ So it was crazy, but it was super exciting. And, you know, I was just happy to just get on the field really.”
“It flew by, man, it feels like just the other day I was checking into my dorm and, you know, getting everything going in there and getting my locker and all that stuff. Tried to learn everything as quick as I could, because I knew then when that opportunity presented, I wanted to be ready for it.”
From there, Bergen has built a career as a dynamic playmaker, who always comes up clutch when the pressure is on, and all eyes are on him, whether against rival Montana State, or last year’s unforgettable run to Frisco and the FCS national championship game where Bergen returned two punts and a kick for scores in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and also caught a touchdown in overtime against North Dakota State.
James Dobson / MTN Sports
“Pressure means things are expected of you, so I just had to take that for what it is and just try to go out and do my best,” Bergen said. “Obviously, my coach is trusting me. That means a lot in itself. That gives me a lot of confidence to go out and do whatever it is I’m asked to do.”
This year as a senior, it’s continued, and this past weekend against Cal Poly Bergen set a Big Sky Conference record with his sixth career punt return touchdown, a mark he never thought he’d break when he arrived.
“I remember one of my first punt returns at practice, coach (Brent) Pease threw me back there, and I go running back, and I slipped and fell,” he said with a laugh. “And I was like, dude, I never want to do this again. And, yeah, I just kept catching them, kept catching them. And then after a while, it became so normal. You got so much confidence. And that’s really a big thing in that punt return stuff.
“Obviously, I set high goals for myself, and I try to accomplish those every year. But coming in here, that one, that one wasn’t up there, but my dad always says, try to make sure you leave your mark on the program. And you know that’s something that can’t be taken away until somebody comes and breaks it.”
Bergen’s racked up All-America and all-Big Sky honors in his career and has scored 24 total touchdowns in a variety of ways.
It’s a video game-like stat chart for him, with 575 career rushing yards and four scores, one passing touchdown, the six punt returns plus the one kickoff house call, all wrapped up with his 128 receptions for 1,615 yards and 12 touchdowns he’s had in his time with the Grizzlies.
James Dobson/MTN Sports
Despite missing the first two games of this season, Bergen has amassed 31 catches for 380 yards and two scores in his senior campaign to also go along with his punt return score from last Saturday.
He’s a football junkie at heart and has loved every minute of what the game has presented him. Plus, it’s meant the world to represent his home state and those around him with the Griz, and it’s about enjoying each and every moment as his story continues to write itself out in historic and memorable fashion.
“When I go back home, a lot of people let me know, ‘We’re proud of you around here, you’re doing your thing, good job,’” Bergen said. “It means a lot, people’s eyes are on you, and I’m blessed, really, just blessed. I can’t really say much else.
“I want to soak it all in, every day, just kind of just enjoy it, embrace it, and take it for what it is. We’ll never get these days back. And I just want to be appreciative and show gratitude for that, because it’s been truly a blessing around here.”
Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced professionals; a good reminder for the rest of us to learn from those mistakes. The motion in State v. Stroup starts off well in its initial pages (no case law hallucinations), but is then followed by several pages of two other motions, which I don’t think the lawyer was planning to file, and which appear to have been AI-generated: It begins with the “Below is concise motion language you can drop into …” language quoted above.
Griffen Smith (Missoulian) reported on the story, and included the prosecutor’s motion to strike that filing, on the grounds that it violates a local rule (3(G)) requiring disclosure of the use of generative AI:
The document does not include a generative artificial intelligence disclosure as required. However, page 7 begins as follows: “Below is concise motion language you can drop into a ‘Motion to Admit Mental-Disease Evidence and for Related Instructions’ keyed to 45-6-204, 45-6-201, and 4614-102. Adjust headings/captions to your local practice.” Page 10 states “Below is a full motion you can paste into your pleading, then adjust names, dates, and styles to fit local practice.” These pages also include several apparent hyperlinks to “ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws,” “ppl-ai-fileupload.s3.amazonaws+1,” and others. The document includes what appears to be an attempt at a second case caption on page 12. It is not plausible on its face that any source other than generative AI would have created such language for a filed version of a brief….
There’s more in that filing, but here’s one passage:
While generative AI can be a useful tool for some purposes and may have greater application in the future, when used improperly, and without meaningful review, it can ultimately damage both the perception and the reality of the profession. One assumes that Mr. Stroup has had, or will at some point have, an opportunity to review the filing made on his behalf. What impression could a review of pgs. 12-19 leave upon a defendant who struggles with paranoia and delusional thinking? While AI could theoretically one day become a replacement for portions of staff of experienced attorneys, it is readily apparent that this day has not yet arrived.
The Missoulan article includes this response:
In a Wednesday interview, Office of Public Defender Division Administrator Brian Smith told the Missoulian the AI-generated language was inadvertently included in an unrelated filing. And he criticized the county attorney’s office for filing a “four-page diatribe about the dangers of AI” instead of working with the defense to correct her mistake.
“That’s not helping the client or the case,” Smith said, “and all you are doing is trying to throw a professional colleague under the bus.”
As I mentioned, the lawyer involved seems quite experienced, and ran for the Montana Public Service Commission in 2020 (getting nearly 48% of the vote) and for the House of Representatives in Montana’s first district in 2022 (getting over 46% of the vote) and in 2024 (getting over 44%). “Его пример другим наука,” Pushkin wrote in Eugene Onegin—”May his example profit others,” in the Falen translation.
Thanks to Matthew Monforton for the pointer.
HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.
“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.
It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.
(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)
Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026
“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”
But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.
“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.
Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.
“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.
The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.
“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.
While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.
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