Michigan State and Minnesota will wear matching helmet stickers Saturday to honor a former MSU star
Michigan State and Minnesota are on-field opponents Saturday, as both teams will vie to start 1-0 in the Big Ten. But the foes will be linked in another way: They will sport helmet stickers featuring the letters "UG."
The letters stand for "Ultimate Growth," a nod to the Gregory H. Montgomery Jr. Foundation for Ultimate Growth. The stickers are an effort to promote mental wellness and suicide prevention. The foundation was named in honor of Montgomery, a former MSU punter who died by suicide in August 2020. He was 55.
Montgomery's sister, Margot Moran, will attend Saturday's game. She said seeing the teams run onto the field at Spartan Stadium, with stickers honoring her brother, will be emotional.
"Greg started raising awareness (about mental health) in the '90s, and how I put it is, 'His mission got interrupted. He passed the baton to me,' " she said. "I'm so very grateful for Michigan State."
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The possibility of adding the stickers to the helmets came after Moran spoke with Alan Haller, MSU's athletics director and a former Spartan football player himself. Montgomery and Haller weren't teammates. Yet they'll be connected forever: They wore the same jersey, No. 23. Montgomery wrapped up his college career in 1987; Haller began his in 1988.
A first-team All-American in each of his final two seasons, Montgomery made sure Haller knew what he was getting into when he put on the uniform.
"When he opened up his locker, Greg had left him a note that read, 'Wear this jersey proudly or don't wear it at all,' " Moran said. "That was the start of that relationship."
More than 30 years later, Haller helped out Montgomery's sister. After their initial conversation about the stickers, Haller got Moran in touch with Ashton Henderson, MSU's executive associate AD for championship resources. Henderson also is a member of the Big Ten's mental health and wellness cabinet. Via email, he broached the topic of wearing the "UG" stickers for the Minnesota game. He then contacted one of his close friends, Peyton N. Owens III, Minnesota's senior associate AD for leadership and inclusion, with a question.
Would the Golden Gophers join the Spartans in wearing the helmet stickers?
After receiving clearance from the league office, it was a done deal.
"Minnesota was so gracious in stepping up and wearing them in solidarity with us, even though we're opening up this Big Ten season against them," Moran said. "But at the end of the day, we're all people. It's all about love."
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It's not the only event affiliated with the foundation in the Greater Lansing area this week. Thursday night at Demonstration Hall, they held "UG Flex and Flow," a yoga event with proceeds benefiting the foundation. Nothing Bundt Cakes in Okemos plans to donate 20% of its Friday sales to UG.
Saturday's game, of course, is the centerpiece.
"I would love for people to see the UG sticker and ask, 'What's that all about?' " Moran said. "To have that national platform from the Big Ten, we are honored and humbled."
Moran has even bigger plans for the future. She hopes a day will come that every Big Ten team will wear the stickers once a season.
It's what her brother would want.
"I feel him in every thread of the fabric of our foundation," she said. "I feel Greg in my heart."
It's also why, when the foundation launched, "UG" had to be included in the name. It doesn't simply stand for "Ultimate Growth." It's also what Montgomery called himself: "Uncle Greg."
"So we thought 'Ultimate Growth' was great, because ultimately, we just need to continue to grow," Moran said. "But the logo you will see on those helmets? That's from his design, from his hands."
It's the way he signed birthday cards and Christmas cards to those closest to him, which extended far beyond his blood relatives. Battling bipolar disorder, looking out for at-risk kids dealing with mental health issues of their own was a cause near to Montgomery's heart. An All-Pro punter during his nine seasons in the NFL, he became a mentor to younger players at the position.
"NFL punters would call us and say, 'Oh, UG was the best,' " Moran said. "I'm like, 'UG? Why do you even know what that is?' But he treated everyone he met like family."
Especially children.
"He really cared for kids' mental health," Moran said. "He was just unable to complete his task, so we're trying to do that for him."
Contact Ryan Black at rblack@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: The story behind Michigan State and Minnesota's football matching helmet stickers
