On Saturday night in Boone, N.C., Football Championship Subdivision powerhouses Montana and Appalachian State will meet for the first time in the regular season. The two programs are synonymous with success. Montana won 119 games during the last decade, more than any Division I program. Appalachian State won 101. Montana won one national championship and appeared in five title games from 2000-09. Appalachian State won three straight championship games from 2005-07. In 2009, the teams played an epic semifinal game in Missoula, a game the Grizzlies won 24-17. The first meeting between the two teams back in 2000 was just as dramatic. Montana edged Appalachian State 19-16 in overtime when senior wide receiver Jimmy Farris, a native of Lewiston, Idaho, caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Miller, sending the Grizzlies to the national championship game. Farris was an All-Big Sky Conference receiver in 2000, and finished his career with 129 catches for 2,223 yards and 21 touchdowns. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots, and played in the NFL for several years with Atlanta, Jacksonville, San Francisco, and Washington, is in the midst of a campaigning for Congress. Farris is the Democratic nominee for Idaho’s 1st congressional district. Farris spent a few minutes on the phone with Jon Kasper of the Big Sky Conference. Let’s catch up with Jimmy Farris:
Q: First off, Jimmy why did you decide to delve into the political world?
A: For a number of reasons. Most of all, I want to help people live the dream, the way I’ve been able. I’m a small-town kid from Idaho who decided when I was 10-years-old that I wanted to play in the NFL. I achieved that dream, and was done with it by the time I was 30. I felt like I was someone who was really fortunate, was able to live my dream and do what I wanted. Now, I want to be in the position to help others do the same things. There are a lot of problems facing our country, and a lot of areas where people need help. I’d like to have a say in that.
Q: What’s the campaign trail been like?
A: A lot of back and forth, traveling. The district is all the way up to Bonners Ferry, which is 20 miles from the Canadian border, down to Boise. People don’t believe this, but I’ve put 25,000 miles on my car since last October when I started campaigning. People are starting to pay attention now. After Labor Day, we really hit the campaign season.
Q: Since you played in the NFL, did the name recognition resonate with voters?
A: It gave me a little bit of name ID, but not from nearly the amount of people I would’ve thought or hoped. A lot of voters don’t pay attention to that. Once I’d get in a conversation with them, they’d remember. It’s not something that’s been prominent. My experience in pro sports has helped me become a better candidate and run a better campaign. Team work and working together is the centerpiece of what my campaign is all about. That’s something that is really needed in Congress.
Q: Let’s shift gears to football. Montana and Appalachian State play this weekend in a matchup of FCS titans. You made the game-winning catch in overtime in a semifinal game in 2000 against Appalachian State. Does this matchup bring back memories?
A: For me, that was one of the biggest games of my career, personally, and one of the biggest in my five years at Montana that we played in. It was a home playoff game, a semifinal to go to the championship. There was a blizzard at the start of the game. It had every element that in football lore we think about. It was hard-fought the whole way. To personally make that catch in overtime and end up the championship, it was just the culmination of five good years at Montana. It’s something that never goes away. The memories are vivid.
Q: What do you remember about that game-winning play, from breaking the huddle to the catch?
A: First, it wasn’t the play that was called. Drew called an audible once he saw one-on-one coverage. I was matched up against Corey Hall, who was their stud. He was an All-American, and it was a matchup that was highly-anticipated all week. He had some success, and I had some success during the game. I was the single receiver on that side. Drew saw that and signaled to a fade. The moment it started, my heart started beating fast. I thought, ‘this could be my career.’ It all went through my head. I got a good release, and I don’t think Drew could have thrown a more perfect ball, it just floated in my hands. I know it sounds cliché, but it was all like slow motion for me. I was in that zone. It all kind of happened in slow motion. The first thing that entered into my mind was to dunk the ball over the goalpost.
Q: The celebration, if we remember, was pretty crazy as fans stormed the field didn’t they?
A: No question. Somehow I ended up on the back of the four-wheeler Monte was driving. I almost fell off a couple of times. I was crowd surfing for awhile, but one of the things I remember is my sister found me. She was lost in the crowd and she found me and said, ‘don’t let go. We’re trying to find mom.’ It was everything you’d hoped and dream. Nothing I did in the pros ever compared to that, not even being part of a Super Bowl.’’
Q: Do you find a correlation between football and politics?
A: I keep coming back to the same concept of what life is truly about, and what my life has been about, and moving forward what it will be about. It’s a simple concept, maybe a little cliché, but it’s all about teamwork. One of the reasons why I’m running is I believe strongly in the idea that we’re all connected and can help each other out in some respect directly or indirectly. If I win this election, it will be because so many people played a role. It will be the ultimate expression of what people can do together, and what a team can be about. It takes me back to my football memories. You accomplish things individually, sure, but there was always someone there to give and help. That catch would not have been possible without Drew Miller. We wouldn’t have been in that position without a great team. There is no way I will win in November without the group helping me, and the voters. It’s a common theme.
Q: What platform are you running on?
A: I’m a Democrat, so I’m running on the Democratic platform. For me, it’s more about addressing the issues our country is facing right now. Obviously one is deficit reduction. We have to find ways to reduce spending. It’s going to take compromise and bipartisan solutions. We need to have people move closer to the center and work on both sides of the aisle. That’s one thing lacking in Congress. The Representative I’m running against in the First District, Raul Labrador, wants to be as far right as possible. He’s made himself a fringe guy. It kind of marginalizes his ability to be effective. We have to be able to meet in the middle and find common ground to significantly solve problems. It’s a concept of teamwork with me. I may not always like a guy, or see eye-to-eye with him, but we have to do what’s necessary, do what’s right for the collective whole. You have to put your personal agenda aside and do what’s best for everyone involved. We have to work together in team situations and bring people together. It’s too divisive right now.’’
Q: You going to watch the game on Saturday night?
A: Absolutely. Also, I hope to get back to Missoula this year for a game.