No. 5 – Detroit Lions | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born: | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | June 7, 1997||||||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school: | Mount Healthy (Mount Healthy, Ohio) | ||||||||||||||
College: | Iowa State (2016–2018) | ||||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2019 / round: 3 / pick: 73 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
|
David Montgomery (born June 7, 1997), nicknamed "Knuckles", is an American professional football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Growing up in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, he is an Eagle Scout [1] in addition to being a standout prep dual threat quarterback. Over his four-year career, he rushed for 6,666 yards and 91 touchdowns. [2] In 2015, he was named the Division III Ohio Player of the Year [3] as well as the Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year. [4] His senior season rushing total of 2,707 was good enough for the 21st best single season performance in Ohio high school history. [5] He posted seven 200-yard games and three 300-yard games, including one 373 yard performance. [6]
Despite a record-breaking high school career, Montgomery was only lightly recruited to continue his football career in college. He was only recruited by Miami (OH), Ball State, Buffalo, and Iowa State. He eventually committed to the Cyclones. [7]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
David Montgomery RB | Cincinnati, Ohio | Mount Healthy | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Mar 2, 2016 | |
Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN grade: NR | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 1,203, 55 (OH), 74 (RB) | ||||||
Sources:
|
As a true freshman in 2016, Montgomery played in all 12 games and started the final four contests. He led the team in rushing with 563 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. [8] This was good enough to be the second-best freshman performance in school history. In his second career start he rushed 169 yards on 24 carries to defeat Kansas. [9] He was named Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week for that performance. [10] He finished the season with 141 yards rushing and 45 yards receiving against West Virginia. [11]
At the conclusion of the season Montgomery was named to the honorable mention Freshman All-American team by Campus Insiders. [12]
Montgomery's breakout season was in 2017. He led the Cyclones in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage with 1,095 and 1,383 respectively. [13] He finished second in the Big 12 in rushing yards and touchdowns behind only Justice Hill. [14] Montgomery led the nation in forced missed tackles with 104, breaking the previous record of 89 set by Dalvin Cook. [15] Against Iowa he ran for 113 yards, rushed for a touchdown, and had 53 yards on receptions. [16] In an upset win at #3 Oklahoma, Montgomery ran for 55 yards and a touchdown and caught 7 passes for 89 yards. [17] He had a career day against Texas Tech rushing for 164 yards on 28 attempts, averaging 5.9 yards per play. [18] Montgomery had a third straight 100 yard performance against West Virginia, [19] Oklahoma State, [20] and Baylor [21] with 115, 105, and 144 yards respectively including three touchdowns against the Cowboys.
Montgomery received multiple accolades at the end of the regular season. He was named a first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus [22] as well as consensus first-team All-Big 12. [23]
Montgomery started the season slow, but had a string of four straight 100-yard games with five touchdowns from mid-September to mid-October, and ended the season with another string of three straight 100-yard games with six touchdowns, including 179 yards from scrimmage in the 2018 Alamo Bowl loss to Washington State. [24] Montgomery finished the 2018 season with 1,216 rushing yards (second in the Big 12 to Alex Barnes) and 13 rushing touchdowns (second to Sam Ehlinger). [25]
Season | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
2016 | Iowa State | 12 | 4 | 109 | 563 | 5.2 | 2 | 13 | 129 | 9.9 | 0 |
2017 | Iowa State | 13 | 13 | 258 | 1,147 | 4.4 | 11 | 36 | 296 | 8.2 | 0 |
2018 | Iowa State | 12 | 11 | 257 | 1,216 | 4.7 | 13 | 22 | 157 | 7.1 | 0 |
Total | 37 | 28 | 624 | 2,926 | 4.7 | 26 | 71 | 582 | 8.4 | 0 |
On January 7, 2019, Montgomery announced that he would forgo his final season of eligibility and declare for the 2019 NFL draft. [26] ESPN2 dubbed Montgomery the "Frankenstein" of running backs for possessing similar physical traits of different NFL running backs, including the footwork of Saquon Barkley, the field vision of Le'Veon Bell, the strength of Ezekiel Elliott and the athleticism of Sony Michel. [27]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 ft 10+1⁄8 in (1.78 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | 31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.58 s | 1.63 s | 2.69 s | 4.23 s | 7.12 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) | 15 reps | |
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [28] [29] |
The Chicago Bears drafted Montgomery in the third round with the 73rd overall pick in the draft. [30] Montgomery signed a four-year rookie contract with the team on June 14. [31]
Montgomery made his NFL debut with the Bears in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. In that game, Montgomery rushed for 18 yards on six attempts and caught one pass for 27 yards as the Bears lost 10–3. [32] In Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, Montgomery rushed 18 times for 62 yards and his first career NFL touchdown as the Bears won 16–14. [33] After 11 carries for 25 yards in Week 6 and two rushes for six yards and a fumble in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints, Montgomery responded in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers with 27 rushes for an NFL-second best 135 yards and a touchdown in the 17–16 loss. [34] In Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Montgomery rushed 14 times for 40 yards and two touchdowns in the 22–14 loss. This was Montgomery's first game with multiple rushing touchdowns of his career. [35] In Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings, Montgomery rushed 23 times for 113 yards and a touchdown during the 21–19 win. [36] Overall, Montgomery finished his rookie season with 889 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns to go along with 25 receptions for 185 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. [37]
Montgomery remained the team's featured running back heading into the 2020 season. Before the regular season began, head coach Matt Nagy emphasized the offense would prioritize establishing a run game. [38]
He opened the season with 64 rushing yards on 13 attempts en route to a 27–23 comeback win against the Detroit Lions. [39] In Week 2 against the New York Giants, Montgomery rushed 16 times for 82 yards and caught three passes for 45 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season during the 17–13 win. [40]
Montgomery suffered a concussion during the Bears' Week 9 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He subsequently missed the team's Week 10 contest while recovering. [41] The Bears rushing attack ranked last in the NFL with 82.3 yards-per-game at this point in the season. Nagy handed over play-calling responsibilities to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. [42] Montgomery returned for the Bears' Week 12 match-up against the Packers on Sunday Night Football, where he totaled 143 yards from scrimmage and recorded a receiving touchdown in a 41–25 loss. [43] In his second game back from the concussion, Montgomery rushed for 72 yards with two rushing touchdowns during a 34–30 loss against the Detroit Lions. [44]
In Week 14 against the Houston Texans, he amassed 113 rushing yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the Bears' opening offensive possession. [45] The score was the fourth-longest run in Bears history and the team's first opening-play touchdown since 1995. [46] Montgomery finished the game with 155 yards from scrimmage in a 36–7 victory over the Texans. [45] During the Bears' 33–27 Week 15 victory over the Vikings, Montgomery rushed for a career-high 146 yards with two touchdowns on 32 carries. [47] The following week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he ran for 95 yards and a touchdown during the 41–17 win as he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season, becoming the first Bears running back to do so since Jordan Howard in 2017. [48] In Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers, Montgomery recorded 132 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown during the 35–16 loss. [49]
Montgomery finished the 2020 regular season with 247 rushes for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns. [50] His 1,070 rushing yards ranked fifth in the NFL. [50] He also caught 54 passes for 438 yards and two touchdowns. [50]
Montgomery recorded 309 rushing yards on 69 carries with three rushing touchdowns through first four games of the 2021 NFL season. [51] He suffered a knee sprain in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions. [51] and was placed on injured reserve on October 9, 2021, and was expected to miss 4–5 weeks. [51] [52] He had the fifth most rushing yards in the league until his injury. [53] He was activated on November 8 for the team's Week 9 game. [54] In Week 17, against the Giants, he had two rushing touchdowns in the 29–3 victory. [55] He finished the 2021 season with 225 carries for 849 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 42 receptions for 301 receiving yards. [56] He was ranked 98th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022. [57]
In Week 2, against the Packers, Montgomery had 15 carries for 122 rushing yards in the 27–10 loss. [58] In week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons, he had 121 combined yards (67 rushing, 54 receiving), and one rushing touchdown the 27–24 loss. [59] He finished the 2022 season with 201 carries for 801 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 34 receptions for 316 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. [60]
On March 16, 2023, Montgomery signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Lions. [61] He started as the RB1 at the start of the season before a rib injury in week 6. [62] In a Week 4 victory over the Packers, he had 32 carries for 121 yards and three touchdowns. [63] He then came back two weeks later sharing the backfield with rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. [64] This duo would become one of the most successful duos in the NFL as they became the first pair of players in NFL history to combine for 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns each. [65] He finished the season with 219 carries for 1,015 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns to go with 16 receptions for 117 receiving yards in 14 games and starts. He scored a touchdown in 11 different games. [66] Montgomery and the Lions would go to the NFC Championship where they lost to the 49ers 34–31. Montgomery had 113 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the loss. [67]
In Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks, Montgomery achieved his 7th straight game with a rushing touchdown, tying Billy Sims' record for the most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown in Lions franchise history. [68] On October 12, with two years left on his current contract, Montgomery signed a two-year extension worth $18.25 million with $10.5 million in new guaranteed money that will keep him in Detroit through the 2027 season. [69] In Week 15's matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Montgomery suffered an MCL injury, which was initially believed to require a season-ending surgery. However, Montgomery sought additional medical opinions and returned for the divisional round of the playoffs. [70] [71] Montgomery totaled 775 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries and 341 receiving yards on 36 catches in 14 games. [72]
In Montgomery's first season with the Lions, he teamed up with fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs to form a tandem Lions head coach Dan Campbell described as a "two-headed monster." In 2024, the pair were given the nicknames "Sonic" and "Knuckles", inspired by characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, with Gibbs dubbed "Sonic" for his speed and Montgomery as "Knuckles" for his strength. [73]
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
2019 | CHI | 16 | 8 | 242 | 889 | 3.7 | 55 | 6 | 25 | 185 | 7.4 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
2020 | CHI | 15 | 14 | 247 | 1,070 | 4.3 | 80 | 8 | 54 | 438 | 8.1 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
2021 | CHI | 13 | 13 | 225 | 849 | 3.8 | 41 | 7 | 42 | 301 | 7.2 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2022 | CHI | 16 | 16 | 201 | 801 | 4.0 | 28 | 5 | 34 | 316 | 9.3 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
2023 | DET | 14 | 14 | 219 | 1,015 | 4.6 | 75 | 13 | 16 | 117 | 7.3 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
2024 | DET | 14 | 14 | 185 | 775 | 4.2 | 21 | 12 | 36 | 341 | 9.5 | 40 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Career | 88 | 79 | 1,319 | 5,399 | 4.1 | 80 | 51 | 207 | 1,698 | 8.2 | 40 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
2020 | CHI | 1 | 1 | 12 | 31 | 2.6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | DET | 3 | 3 | 39 | 183 | 4.7 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career | 4 | 4 | 51 | 214 | 4.2 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 45 | 7.5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Montgomery had a difficult childhood. He does not know his father, and his mother moved the family numerous times around Cincinnati due to economic hardship. He remembers using the oven for heat, and boiling water collected from gas stations in the bath tub when either was disconnected. He has a brother who was incarcerated for drug trafficking and murder. After scoring a touchdown, Montgomery frequently holds up a "V"-sign in memory of a high school teammate and role model who was murdered during a home invasion. [74]
While he was with Iowa State, Montgomery was chosen as a semi-finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award for his efforts in befriending Hunter Erb, a 6-year-old who was born with multiple congenital heart defects, and orchestrating a team visit to Marshalltown, Iowa to help clean up after a tornado. [75]
Montgomery began following a vegan diet during the 2020 season. After the Lions' Thanksgiving win in 2024, he drew media attention for eating a carrot while his teammates ate CBS' celebratory turkey. [76]
Montgomery and his girlfriend had their first child, a boy, delivered on January 13, 2023. [77]
Barry Sanders is an American former professional football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushing touchdowns once, establishing himself as one of the most elusive runners in the history of the NFL with his quickness and agility, despite being only 5 ft 8 in tall and weighing 203 lbs. Sanders played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. As a junior in 1988, he compiled what is widely considered the greatest individual season by a running back in college football history, rushing for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in 11 games. He won the Heisman Trophy and was unanimously recognized as an All-American.
John Matthew Stafford is an American professional football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL draft. Ranking in the top ten of all time in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, Stafford is currently sixth all-time in passing yards per game and is the fastest player in NFL history to have reached 40,000 career passing yards.
Calvin Johnson Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. Nicknamed "Megatron" after the Transformers character of the same name, he is regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as a junior, and was selected by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL draft.
Matthew Garrett Forte is an American former professional football player who was a running back for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. Forte established himself as a dual-threat running back capable of earning yards as a rusher and receiver. He is one of only three players to record at least 1,000 rushing yards and 100 receptions in a single season. Forte spent eight seasons with the Bears before playing for the New York Jets for two seasons.
Jahvid Andre Best is an American track and field Olympian athlete, and former professional football running back. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting several school records, including most all-purpose yards in a single season and most rushing yards in a single game. Best also led the Pac-10 in total rushing yards in 2008. Best competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics, representing Saint Lucia in track and field. He later became head football coach of the Saint Mary's College High School Panthers in Berkeley, California, for one season.
The Bears–Lions rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.
Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed "Flash", is an American professional football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, kickoff returner, and occasionally on defense. Patterson played college football for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons before transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and the Atlanta Falcons.
Jared Thomas Goff is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting Pac-12 Conference single-season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Goff was selected with the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2016 NFL draft. He had a breakout season in 2017, leading the Rams to their first playoff appearance since 2004. The following year, Goff led the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. He received Pro Bowl honors in both seasons.
Ty Anthony Montgomery II is an American former professional football running back. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning consensus All-American honors in 2013. Montgomery was selected as a wide receiver by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. In 2016, he changed positions to running back.
David Jerome Johnson Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Northern Iowa Panthers and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. Johnson spent five seasons with the Cardinals, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections in 2016. He also played for the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints.
Zachary Zenner is a former American football running back. He played college football at South Dakota State. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions in 2015. Zenner also played for the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, and Miami Dolphins.
Jordan Reginald Howard is an American former professional football running back. He played college football at UAB and Indiana.
Mitchell David Trubisky is an American professional football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was selected second overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL draft.
Jamaal Malik Williams is an American professional football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at BYU and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Aaron LaRae Jones is an American professional football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UTEP Miners and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. In seven seasons with the Packers, Jones led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2019, made the Pro Bowl in 2020, and ranks third in the team's all-time rushing yards list.
D'Andre Tiyon Swift is an American professional football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Detroit Lions with the third pick of the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. In 2023, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he earned his first Pro Bowl selection before signing with the Bears in 2024.
Justin Skyler Fields is an American professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with the Georgia Bulldogs, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he was twice named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and appeared in the 2021 National Championship Game.
Thomas James Hockenson is an American professional football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he earned the John Mackey Award, as the nation's top tight end in college football and was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.
Jahmyr Gibbs, nicknamed "Sonic", is an American professional football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Alabama Crimson Tide. Gibbs was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, where in his first NFL season he was an All-Rookie Team selection and voted to the Pro Bowl. In 2024, Gibbs was again selected to the Pro Bowl and set a Detroit franchise record for the most touchdowns scored in a single season, leading the NFL with 20 total touchdowns scored.
Khalil Herbert is an American professional football running back and return specialist for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Kansas and Virginia Tech before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.