David Montgomery may be a 3rd round pick, but he certainly doesn’t think of himself as one. From the moment he joined the Chicago Bears, it was apparent the young running back from Iowa State has a quiet self-confidence. He doesn’t chirp about it a lot. That’s not his way. However, when asked he hasn’t beaten the around the bush. He thinks he won’t just be good in the NFL. He thinks he’ll be great and is ready to show the world.
His first impressions have certainly been eye-opening. It started with a monster run during the first padded practice of training camp. Montgomery took a handoff to the left, broke through a tackle at the line of scrimmage, ran over another defender a few yards later, and then carried three more on his back until he finally fell after getting a first down. It was the best highlight of camp.
Montgomery wasn’t done though. In his first preseason game, he topped himself. In the 2nd quarter, with the Bears trailing 6-0, the rookie caught two passes for 29 yards and ran for another 17 including a 7-yard touchdown to take the lead. He was the workhorse on the entire drive, showcasing his versatility, quickness, vision, and underrated power.
Most people say they see visions of Le’Veon Bell or Matt Forte when he runs. Montgomery himself? He has a way higher standard.
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David Montgomery is aiming to be like Walter Payton
Montgomery has said on multiple occasions that Walter Payton was his favorite player growing up. He isn’t just saying that to placate Bears fans. It’s the honest truth. So one can imagine how excited the kid was when Chicago traded up to get him. Not to mention the pressure that comes with playing the position Payton made iconic. One would think Montgomery is merely trying to do Sweetness proud.
Not exactly. His goal is even higher according to NFL.com’s “Meet The Rookies” segment.
“It’s amazing, man. Just to be able to be on the same team he was. His legacy still carries on. Initially it was like I got some big shoes to fill. So it kind of like gives me a comparison that you can be like him one day.”
Make no mistake. Montgomery idolizes Payton, but he also wishes to carve out his own legacy in the NFL. So he intends to match and even try to surpass what the Hall of Famer accomplished in Chicago. That may sound insane to old school fans who watched Payton play. Is it though? If you’re going to set goals for yourself, why not set them as high as they can go? Montgomery wants to be the best, and Payton was and remains the best.
If that’s what he’s shooting for, then there’s no reason to discourage him in that quest.
