“Being able to go play where my dad played in college was something special to me,” Kee Christiansen told 406mtsports.com on Friday.

Christiansen starred at quarterback and safety at Dillon, but his position at the next level toggled between defensive back and wide receiver as he talked with MSU head coach Brent Vigen during the recruiting process. Christiansen and his future coaches decided WR made the most sense.

“We’re excited with the playmaking ability that Kee brings,” MSU receivers coach Justin Udy said in a press release. “Playing quarterback in high school gave him the opportunity to see it from a different perspective, and typically somebody that plays that position and is transitioning to a spot where you can use your athleticism and also that knowledge base he’s built up makes it exciting. He’s a kid that plays physical and really, really hard, so transitioning that to the receivers room is a good fit.”

Christiansen would not be the first former Beaver to switch positions in college and star for the Cats. Current Atlanta Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen played quarterback and linebacker at both Dillon and MSU — plus some running back in college — before moving to inside linebacker full time.

One of Andersen’s high school and college teammates was RJ Fitzgerald, a fullback who became a team captain and the legacy No. 41 wearer in his final college season. Fitzgerald’s brother Jace recently transferred from MSU to Montana Western.

“I remember being a little kid and going to Beaver games and always hearing Troy Andersen and RJ Fitzgerald and a bunch of those other guys that were successful at Beaverhead County,” Christiansen said. “Those guys are good people to look up to both as athletes and as people in general. I’ve always valued their qualities of leadership.”

Andersen and RJ Fitzgerald helped the Beavers capture State A football titles in 2014 and 2016, the latter of which they won 34-17 over Columbia Falls. Dillon faced the same opponent in the state championship game seven years later but needed overtime to reclaim the crown. Christiansen ran for a touchdown and passed for another in regulation, then punched in the game-winning score on a run to the left at Vigilante Stadium.

“I just figured, ‘If you’ve got a yard and a half to win a state championship, why not put it in the hands of a guy that has put in all the work and is the heart and soul of our team? We’ll push all the chips in with our stud,’” said Dillon head coach Zach McRae. “He’ll be the first to deflect praise on that.”

Added Christiansen: “You’ve just got to live in the moment, but then when those moments come, you’ve obviously got to take them and you’ve got to be confident in what you’re doing. It was definitely special to be able to get that championship.”

Christiansen earned a Class A all-state honor as both a QB and a punter. He also served as the holder on field goals/extra points. That versatility was a major selling point for MSU’s coaches.

“Kee was biggest in the biggest moments,” Vigen said last week. “Excited to get another player out of Dillon. Excited to get a player whose father Matt played here. I think those stories are always important because I think a kid like Kee, who’s grown up a Bobcat, it means that much more to him. I trust that he’s going to do everything he can to make the most of it.”

Christiansen wants to major in agriculture, and MSU is “one of the best places in Montana to get that degree,” he said.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Christiansen received scholarship offers from Western and Carroll College, both NAIA programs in Montana. But the chance to get an agriculture degree and play D-I football at his father’s alma mater was too good to pass up.

“I’m just thankful for my team here in Dillon for what they were able to give me this year,” Christiansen said. “Our season came to an end and it was successful, and they were able to help me get here to where I am now signing with the Cats.”