Competition came early
Wide receiver Montgomery grew up with 17 foster children
Green Bay — Ty Montgomery lined up everywhere at Stanford. One play at slot receiver. One play at running back. Another play as a Wildcat quarterback. Then he was just a blur, zipping past tacklers on a kick return.
With the 94th overall pick in last weekend’s NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers added versatility.
“I just have this mentality,” Montgomery said, “that there’s nothing I can’t do. I wholeheartedly believe in my ability to do anything from any position.”
One reason, of course, is his skill set. The wide receiver is a muscular 6 foot, 215 pounds with 4.5 speed and a 401⁄2-inch vertical.
There’s also his upbringing — Montgomery grew up with 17 foster children. The experience molded him into the Stanford-educated, future-packer receiver, future-fbi agent he is today.
“It was competitive,” Montgomery said. “It taught me how to be self-confident, how to be firm in my beliefs, how to earn what I get — nothing’s going to be given to me. Loyalty. Friendship. Love. Being humble. Being a part of a team. Respect. Trust. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed every minute of it. It had its ups and downs. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Growing up in Dallas, Montgomery wanted a
brother to joust, to grow up with. So his mother, Lisa Frazier, began welcoming foster children into their home when Montgomery was in third grade.
One turned to two . . . to three . . . to 17 over the years. Their ages ranged from 12 to 18 years old. Montgomery, Mom and the foster kids were on the move constantly. They never lived in the same home longer than one year before Montgomery’s freshman year of high school at St. Mark’s School of Texas.
They all shared rooms, bunk beds, twin beds, “you name it,” Montgomery said. With Dad remarried and living elsewhere, Montgomery matured from boy to man with several different mentors. Sixteen of the 17, he said, were boys.
They’d “butt heads” in fullcontact football games. They’d strap on the gloves and conduct boxing tournaments in the front yard. They’d wrestle. At home, competition was heated. Yet whenever the group as a whole went to a local rec center to play, they’d team up and dominate.
Said Montgomery, “We always stood up for each other.”
Some siblings arrived from rough, poor backgrounds. His mother saved several siblings from getting split apart. Thus, Montgomery was always learning new lessons in appreciation.
“It really helped me mature and find out how to be empathetic and sympathetic,” Montgomery said. “I learned to understand that life is never how it seems and there’s always something else. ... Maybe it’s celebrating their birthday and nobody’s ever thrown them a birthday party before.”
The experience, Montgomery added, “grounded me. . . . kept me humble,” instilled a 24/ 7 open mind. He’s
“It really helped me mature and find out how to be empathetic and sympathetic. I learned to understand that life is never how it seems and there’s always something else.”
a proud “Uncle Ty now.” One of those brothers has three kids now.
At Stanford he’s pursuing a degree in political science. This week Montgomery is polishing off a paper in “Democracy, Accountability and Transparency” before heading to Green Bay’s rookie orientation camp. Once he finishes his final three classes, he’ll earn his degree in June.
Montgomery has always referred to a message he wrote to himself during his sophomore year, his “best self” credo:
Be genuine. Be respectful. Be kind. Always think of others.
“I like talking to other people,” Montgomery said. “I like knowing what’s going on in their lives. I feel like in the position I’m in, so many people talk about me — whether it’s in a good light or a bad light — I just like to hear what other people have to say.”
Which is why Montgomery plans on joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation after football.
“Put somebody else’s life or problems ahead of mine,” Montgomery said, “and not necessarily be in the spotlight just to help.”
The do-it-all role on the football field became a natural fit for him.
The last two seasons at Stanford, Montgomery caught 122 passes for 1,562 yards, rushed for 303 yards, averaged 28.7 yards per kick return, 19.8 per punt and scored 20 total touchdowns. His go-to plays at receiver? Anything screen-related, anything that involved a double-move.
Every double-move called, Montgomery knew he’d get open.
“I think about if I was a defensive back,” he said, “and somebody put the move on me that I’m about to put on him, I wouldn’t be able to cover it, either.”
And teammate and tackle Andrus Peat, taken 13th overall by New Orleans, said Montgomery is “electric” once he does have the ball in his hands. The memory that’ll stick with him is Montgomery ramming through two Washington defenders up the left sideline for a 17-yard touchdown last fall.
“His athleticism,” Peat said. “He’s one of the fastest guys on the team. He’s just a big, strong kid at that position. He’s really tough as well. He’ll run guys over; he’s not built like a wide receiver.
That’s why Packers West regional scout Sam Seale described Montgomery as a “bigger Randall Cobb” during the draft. The question now: Will Montgomery be able to pick up the offense as quickly as Cobb? In time, can he read Aaron Rodgers’ mind, too?
Peat doesn’t expect a steep learning curve.
“Especially in the offense we played, which was pretty complicated,” Peat said. “It demanded a lot mentally.”
Added Seale, “You figure he went to Stanford, so he’s smart enough, you can line him up anywhere you want to.”
As a rookie, Montgomery is likely asked to resuscitate the kick-return game first. Maybe return punts. Maybe even play a little running back in addition to receiver. Cobb, after all, is now a $40 million investment. Montgomery says he’s up for it.
Deep into Saturday night, he had no clue the Packers were even an option but was immediately thrilled he’d be heading to a small town. He’ll have 89 new “foster” siblings in training camp.
Growing up in so many homes with so many siblings was more educational, than chaotic. And the lessons, he insists, will stay with him.
Wherever he lines up. Whoever’s around him.
“I love to be the best that I can be,” he said, “and love to push the limits of how much better I can be.”
Ty Montgomery, Packers’ newest wide receiver, on having 17 foster siblings