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] said, ‘The one thing that we always teach you is to be presentable, and that also falls into being prepared. And it looks as if you’re not prepared today.’
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“From that day on, I was always presentable.”
It’s a mentality that he’s carried through his childhood and into his NFL career.
In his seventh season, his third with the Lions, the former third-round pick is half of Detroit’s dynamic backfield tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs. In last week’s win over the Bengals, they tied the NFL record for the most games in which each member of a running back duo has produced a scrimmage touchdown (14).
Some questioned when the Lions spent a first-round pick on Jahmyr Gibbs (left) in 2023, but he and David Montgomery have teamed up to become a potent backfield duo for Detroit. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Now a Scouting America ambassador, Montgomery wore the organization’s sash as part of his game day fit ahead of Detroit’s Week 4 showdown against Cleveland.
He credits scouting with showing him what it takes to be a leader.
“Scouting was a cornerstone of my life,” explained Montgomery, an Eagle Scout. “I think scouting, outside of football, was one of the best things to ever happen to me. Sometimes, you don’t have to be as vocal [as a leader]. Sometimes, the best way to lead is to show people.”
Despite Detroit returning nine of 11 offensive starters this season, many league observers believed the Lions (4-1) would take a step back with the loss of coordinator Ben Johnson, who was named head coach of the Bears during the offseason. That thought was justified in the opener, when Detroit scored just 13 points in its loss to the Packers.
But the Lions have been sizzling since then. They’ve averaged 40.2 points per game over the past four weeks, including a 52-point outburst in a Week 2 rout of Johnson’s Bears. Detroit currently ranks first in scoring (34.8 points/game), third in EPA per play and sixth in total offense (365.0 yards/game) under new playcaller John Morton.
Montgomery believes this year’s Lions offense can be better than last year’s, which ranked first in points and second in yards for the season.
“Not because we have different playcallers or anything like that,” he explained. “I think it’s just because of the expectation that we continue to raise on ourselves as players. … Our offense since I’ve been here has always been pretty damn good, but as long as we keep being selfless and being confident in each other, I think the sky’s the limit.
“Ultimately, the players make anything work,” he continued. “We got the same guys. We added some more crucial pieces that we needed. And John Morton will tell you this himself: The best part for him on Sundays is making sure that he doesn’t mess it up when he calls [plays]. Just because we have all the firepower in the world to be exactly who we’re capable of being.”
As a Scouting America ambassador, Montgomery wore the organization’s sash as his Week 4 walk-in fit. (Photo by Jeff Nguyen, Detroit Lions)
Montgomery added that what happened last season isn’t on the mind of the Lions.
Detroit, which finished 15-2 en route to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, looked like a Super Bowl favorite for most of 2024, but injuries had decimated its roster by the end of the year. The Lions fell to the Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs.
“You can’t really fester on things that you can’t change,” Montgomery said. “It’s over. Milk was spilled. The only thing that you can do is move forward. Get a new glass, clean the milk up and you’re alright.
“I think a lot of guys have moved on from the past and just be in the moment and just allow ourselves to be exactly where our feet are,” he continued. “And take advantage of every opportunity that we get.”
The next one comes Sunday night against the Chiefs. Montgomery will no doubt be prepared.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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