ROCK SPRINGS — Randall Hamilton wasn’t sure football would be part of his future. Now, the former Rock Springs standout is headed back to the field.
Hamilton, a 2025 graduate, has signed with Bismarck State College, becoming the fourth Tiger this season to join the school’s reinstated football program.
After earning 4A all-state honors on the offensive line during the 2024 season, Hamilton stepped away from the game, unsure if playing at the next level was in his plans.
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“At the time, I was,” Hamilton said when asked if he believed he was done with football. “But I got the opportunity, so I just might as well give it a shot.”
That opportunity, along with time away from the game, ultimately brought him back.
“Just kind of missed it,” he said. “So when I got the opportunity to go back and I decided to do it.”
Hamilton is expected to play on the interior offensive line, returning to the position where he found success at Rock Springs.
What he missed most, he said, wasn’t just the game itself.
“The camaraderie, the brotherhood, that was a big thing,” Hamilton said. “Grinding, in the trenches of the boys.”
His return to football will also include familiar faces. Hamilton will reunite with former teammates Santiago Cruz and Cammeron Blake, who also signed with Bismarck State.
“To strap up the cleats and the helmet again with them, I think it’s going to be amazing,” he said.
Hamilton joins a growing group of Rock Springs players heading to Bismarck State as the program prepares for its return to competition following a decades-long hiatus. The team will spend its first season practicing and developing before officially taking the field in 2027.
Looking back on his journey, Hamilton said one message has stuck with him since his high school days.
“Do not give up, push through everything,” he said. “It’s not that bad, just do everything you can.”
As he prepares for his next chapter, Hamilton said one thing he’ll always carry with him from Rock Springs.
“The people,” he said. “The people for sure.”
