2002 - 2018

Quarterback / General Manager / Rocky Mountain League Commissioner

 

Great Falls Gladiators / Brigham Sting / Logan Stampede

 

A Great Falls, Montana native, Brad Thurber carved his name into Rocky Mountain League history as an award winning quarterback, general manager, and Commissioner of the RMFL.

The former high school running back and safety took over the Great Falls Gladiators from 2002 to 2010 where the RMFL tabbed him as GM of the Year in 2006, Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2009 and League MVP in 2010.  The Gladiators were a perennial losing franchise during the early 2000's as it tried to muddle through the North American Football League and mustered only three wins in 2004 and 2005 as it joined the Rocky Mountain League.    Thurber surrounded himself with the correct personnel and turned out the first winning season for the franchise in 2006 along with a playoff appearance.  By 2010 the Gladiators were the top team in Montana and posted back-to-back undefeated seasons and AA Championships in the RMFL.

 

Following the 2011 season, the former BYU student was tabbed as President of the Rocky Mountain League, relocating to Utah where he continued to play and manage the league until his election as Commissioner in 2015.  That same season, he returned to Great Falls, this time as quarterback of the Brigham Sting where he was honored by his former team retiring his Gladiotors #4 jersey.  Thurber would lead the Sting down the field scoring in the final :30 seconds to defeat his former team 14-7 on a special night.  Thurber as a dual-threat QB was surprisingly to some, one of the strongest players in the league having a video-validated 32 reps of 225lbs on the bench press that did not hurt his longevity in the sport and taking hits throughout his career.

 

Leading the Utah Cobras in passing with 11 touchdowns in 2017 as part of a two-QB system, Thurber would suit up one last time in 2018 as quarterback of the Silverbacks RMFL All-Star team at the age of 43.

 

The Covid-19 shut downs would be the end of the Rocky Mountain Football League, along with numerous team franchises from 2020 to 2021.  Brad would turn his focus to youth programs becoming President of the Farmington Youth Football programs in Utah and being highly active in teaching and training the next generation.  Thurber helped coach the FBU Team Utah 2022 6th grade team to a National Championship runner-up in Naples, Florida.  Since then, Team Utah eighth graders have been 3x Regional Champions and won the National Championship in 2023.  They are were again in the mix in 2024 having defeated Seattle to qualify for Florida again in 2024.

 

2004 RMFL Hon Mention (DB)

2006 RMFL GM of the Year

2009 RMFL AA MVP (QB) - Big Sky Division Champions

2009 RMFL Offensive MVP

2010 RMFL Champions Great Falls Gladiators

2012 RMFL President

2012 Logan Stampede - led team in rushing and passing

2013-2015 - Brigham Sting

2013 RMFL All-Star

2015 - RMFL Commissioner

2015 - Great Falls Gladiators retired his #4

2018 RMFL All-Star

2019 RMFL All-Star