Brady Conner has his eyes on the goal line, both on and off the field.

Conner, a 2011 Moffat County High School graduate, will be embarking on his final football season this fall as he enters another season with the Grizzlies of Adams State University.

The former Bulldog gridiron star recently joined his Alamosa teammates in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Kickoff at the beginning of the month to discuss the upcoming year for teams in the NCAA Division II conference.

Conner has been a starting tight end since 2013 and plans to be the top player in the position this season, though he’ll be competing with quite a few contenders as practices get going.

“It’s me and five other kids battling out for the starting spot right now,” he said.

Additionally, some significant coaching changes have taken place for the Grizzlies.

“All the coaches I’ve had in the past four years are gone, just cleared out, but our new coaches are doing awesome so far,” he said. “I like them all a lot.”

At Adams State, Conner has received a slew of honors, including Academic All-Colorado last season and All-RMAC Academic Honor Roll as both a sophomore and a junior, a reflection of his time at MCHS, where he twice picked up All-Conference honors.

On his way to a degree in exercise science, Conner also recently obtained certification as a personal trainer this summer.

“I want to work in a commercial setting with everyday clients, but I’m also hoping to get a coaching job at the high school level once I graduate in December,” he said. “I worked at Alamosa High School for my senior practicum, and they have a great group of guys.”

Adams State will start the season Sept. 3 with an away game at Texas A&M and will begin conference play Sept. 15, meeting the Mavericks of Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.

For Conner this means seeing CMU rookie and fellow Bulldog Matt Hamilton, as well as former MCHS teammate Michael Samuelson, both of whom are on the Mesa roster.

“Michael and I grew up together, and we’re basically best friends, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “He was going to be playing offense, but now he’s on the D-line, so there’s a good chance we’ll be matching up, so that’s pretty cool. It’s cool to see guys from Moffat County in the league.”

In his time with the Grizzlies, Conner has come to appreciate the level of difficulty involved in college sports, though it’s an experience he wouldn’t trade for anything.

“Traveling with the team, getting to know new guys, building relationships, I’ve got good memories,” he said. “Every week’s a blessing, I’m looking forward to every single game.”

Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@CraigDailyPress.com or follow him on Twitter @CDP_Sports.