Chris Opie is a legend at Butte High and Montana Tech. While he was an outstanding athlete on the football field, many of Opie’s legendary stories occurred off the field.

Coach Bob Green says “Most fights are won or lost because one of the participants was unaware of the starting time. Chris Opie was always aware of the starting time.”

Of course, many of the stories you heard about Opie weren’t true. At least they weren’t 100 percent true. He kind of turned into an urban legend.

Opie was a former Webster-Garfield Bobcat and Kennedy Crusader before he played football and wrestled at Butte High School. He started on the defensive line for Butte High’s 1991 Class AA State championship football team. He later played for the 1996 Montana Tech Orediggers, who advanced to the NAIA nation championship game.

Today, Opie lives and works in the Salt Lake City area. He is in town this week for Thanksgiving. So, we met inside the Vault at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill on Black Friday for a fun conversation.

His old high school and college teammate Darrel Storey chimed in with a few stories in this podcast, too.

Someday soon, Darrell will be a guest for a full interview.

Listen in to this podcast to hear Opie tell his side of some of the legendary Opie stories. Listen in as he talks about the 1991 Bulldogs and 1996 Orediggers.

Listen in to hear him tell how he used to have fun at Coach Bob Green’s expense, and hear how much respect he still has for his former coach — along with his Butte High coaches Jon McElroy and Jim Street.

Listen in to hear Opie talk about being the first boy at Kennedy Elementary with a rat tail.