When you talk about the greatest athletes to ever come out of Butte, America, Todd Ericson is definitely on the short list.

The very short list.

The 1989 Butte High graduate earned first-team All-State honors two times in football and basketball. He helped lead the Bulldogs to State championship game appearances in both sports.

But if you want to explain the greatness of Todd Ericson, you only need one number: 37.

From 1990 through 1993, Todd wore No. 37 while playing football for the Montana Grizzlies. He was just the third player to wear that jersey number in hand-me-down tradition — and it is a tradition that turned out to be one of the best in college football. Ericson helped lay the foundation for that great tradition.

Kraig Paulson wore No. 37 from 1983 through 1986. Then the fullback handed it down to Tim Hauck, who first donned it in 1987. Hauck gave it to Erickson, and it has been a Montana native who plays defense wearing the number ever since.

Ericson, who played safety for the Grizzlies, gave it to Jason Crebo of Helena, and this year Trevin Gradney of Billings will be the 18th Grizzlie to wear the number in the handed-down tradition.

Today, Ericson, a 2013 Butte Sports Hall of Fame inductee, lives in Sammamish, Washington, and he is up to some great things.

Listen in to this podcast to hear what he is up to. Listen as he talks about his class of 1989, which included fellow Grizzly football players Lance Allen and Chad Lembke and Grizzly basketball player Gary Kane. Listen as he talks about his days at Butte High and his 1989 basketball team joining the Butte Sports Hall of Fame this summer.

Listen in as he talks about his Grizzlies days and how injuries derailed his chances of making the team when he went to camp with the Indianapolis Colts in 1994.

The photos of Ericson above are, from left, his newspaper mug shot from 1989, his appearance at the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in July and his Montana Grizzly photo that is on his Butte Sports Hall of Fame plaque. (Photo of Ericson in his Green Jacket is courtesy Josie Trudgeon Photography).

Today’s podcast is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.