CARRYING
#40 FORWARD
More than a number. More than a jersey.
Each season, one Great Falls High football player is chosen to carry Derek Dowson's No. 40 and the values it represents: hard work, humility, integrity, toughness, leadership and putting others first.
Then, when his season ends, he helps choose who carries it next.
- WHAT #40 REPRESENTS -
HARD WORK | HUMILITY | INTEGRITY | TEAM FIRST
FROM RETIRED NUMBER
TO LIVING LEGACY.
After Derek died in 2005, Great Falls High retired his No. 40 jersey. For nearly a decade, no one else wore it.
Then the Bison coaching staff had an idea: rather than keep #40 the sidelines, they could use it to keep Derek's example on the field.
Inspired by the University of Montana's No. 37 tradition, #40 became something to be earned and passed forward. Each season, the jersey is entrusted to a player who embodies the qualities Derek was known for - not simply an athlete, but as a teammate and person.
The player wearing #40 selects who will carry it next, creating a tradition that now connects generations of Great Falls High football.
THOSE WHO HAVE WORN #40
Mason Cannon | 2026
“It’s about being something bigger than just yourself. Always being the best version of yourself everywhere you go and in everything you do. It means being a beacon for other kids to follow and strive to be like. I am humbled by how many lives one young man has affected and changed in a positive way.”
Colter DeVoss | 2025
“The number 40 means to always work hard, have grit on the football field, and to be a good person and just be yourself.”
Mason Kralj | 2024
“Everything that Great Falls High football stands for. Being kind and definitely working hard when no one's looking. I think what Derek did, every Great Falls High football player should strive to be like.”
Cooper Collins | 2023
“The number 40 means having the strength to succeed, but also having the strength to be kind. It taught me to have integrity, be kind to my teammates, and to be a leader because I'm a part of something a lot bigger than myself.”
Wyatt DeVoss | 2022
”Honor. And just a huge responsibility that was given to you. The 40 jersey just motivated me every single day to be a better person in every situation.”
Zach Newton | 2021
“Number 40 means character, respect, and integrity. I just knew that if I wanted to live up to what number 40 meant, I'd have to be the best that I could.”
Nathan Kornick | 2020
”It means being the best version of yourself. Respect people around you, be there for people, and use your talents to better the people and the world around you.”
Ben Held | 2019
“To me, number 40 means selflessness and humility. It's definitely the utmost honor that you could receive to carry on that legacy.”
Kyle Torgerson | 2018
”Something bigger than yourself. It means letting down your ego. It means putting the team first.
It means representing a person in Derek Dowson that is tough to compare to.”
Jordan Komac | 2017
“Someone who is going to be an amazing role model and have an impact on others. Someone who is a great character both on and off the field. Someone who is going to show up every day and work hard. First person in, last person out the door.”
Bryce Brinkman | 2016
"Putting in the work when nobody's watching. Being a mentor. Being able to live up to those values that were deeply rooted within Derek, and just be the best person you can be."
