David Montgomery grew up in Cincinnati, where the Boy Scouts were a big part of his childhood. Some of the lessons he learned were hard-earned, and one memory vividly stands out.
He was playing video games on a Friday night. His mom, Roberta, reminded him to set out everything he needed for his board of review for his next merit badge before going to bed — his shirt, neckerchief, scarf, pants, socks and boots. The shirt needed to be ironed. His mom stressed that it would be the only time she reminded him.
“I didn’t listen,” Montgomery recalled. He wanted to keep playing video games. He didn’t take anything out. He woke up late the next morning. In a rush, he threw on what he needed.
His shirt and pants were wrinkled. He couldn’t find the proper socks, so he hastily put on a pair he could find.
“I get to my board of review,” the Lions running back told me, “and they pulled me to the side as I was getting ready to go up. They tell me, ‘We’re not going to do your board of review today.’ I’m like, ‘What? What’s going on? Why not?’ [They] mentioned, ‘The one factor that we at all times train you is to be presentable, and that additionally falls into being ready. And it seems to be as for those who’re not ready right now.’
“From that day on, I used to be at all times presentable.”
It is a mentality that he is carried via his childhood and into his NFL profession.
In his seventh season, his third with the Lions, the previous third-round decide is half of Detroit’s dynamic backfield tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs. In final week’s win over the Bengals, they tied the NFL document for essentially the most video games by which every member of a working again duo has produced a scrimmage landing (14).
Some questioned when the Lions spent a first-round decide on Jahmyr Gibbs (left) in 2023, however he and David Montgomery have teamed as much as change into a potent backfield duo for Detroit. (Picture by Andy Lyons/Getty Pictures)
Now a Scouting America ambassador, Montgomery wore the group’s sash as a part of his sport day match forward of Detroit’s Week 4 showdown in opposition to Cleveland.
He credit scouting with exhibiting him what it takes to be a frontrunner.
“Scouting was a cornerstone of my life,” defined Montgomery, an Eagle Scout. “I feel scouting, outdoors of soccer, was top-of-the-line issues to ever occur to me. Typically, you don’t must be as vocal [as a leader]. Typically, one of the best ways to guide is to indicate folks.”
Regardless of Detroit returning 9 of 11 offensive starters this season, many league observers believed the Lions (4-1) would take a step again with the lack of coordinator Ben Johnson, who was named head coach of the Bears in the course of the offseason. That thought was justified within the opener, when Detroit scored simply 13 factors in its loss to the Packers.
However the Lions have been scorching since then. They’ve averaged 40.2 factors per sport over the previous 4 weeks, together with a 52-point outburst in a Week 2 rout of Johnson’s Bears. Detroit at present ranks first in scoring (34.8 factors/sport), third in EPA per play and sixth in whole offense (365.0 yards/sport) beneath new playcaller John Morton.
Montgomery believes this yr’s Lions offense might be higher than final yr’s, which ranked first in factors and second in yards for the season.
“Not as a result of we have now totally different playcallers or something like that,” he defined. “I feel it’s simply due to the expectation that we proceed to lift on ourselves as gamers. … Our offense since I’ve been right here has at all times been fairly rattling good, however so long as we maintain being selfless and being assured in one another, I feel the sky’s the restrict.
“Finally, the gamers make something work,” he continued. “We acquired the identical guys. We added some extra essential items that we would have liked. And John Morton will let you know this himself: One of the best half for him on Sundays is ensuring that he doesn’t mess it up when he calls [plays]. Simply because we have now all of the firepower on this planet to be precisely who we’re able to being.”
As a Scouting America ambassador, Montgomery wore the group’s sash as his Week 4 walk-in match. (Picture by Jeff Nguyen, Detroit Lions)
Montgomery added that what occurred final season isn’t on the thoughts of the Lions.
Detroit, which completed 15-2 en path to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, regarded like a Tremendous Bowl favourite for many of 2024, however accidents had decimated its roster by the top of the yr. The Lions fell to the Commanders within the divisional spherical of the playoffs.
“You’ll be able to’t actually fester on issues that you could’t change,” Montgomery mentioned. “It’s over. Milk was spilled. The one factor that you are able to do is transfer ahead. Get a brand new glass, clear the milk up and also you’re alright.
“I feel a whole lot of guys have moved on from the previous and simply be within the second and simply enable ourselves to be precisely the place our ft are,” he continued. “And reap the benefits of each alternative that we get.”
The following one comes Sunday night time in opposition to the Chiefs. Montgomery will little question be ready.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Community, the place he was the Titans beat author for a yr and a half. He coated the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) previous to transferring to Tennessee. You’ll be able to comply with Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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