Montgomery enjoying ‘special’ Lions season: ‘This is second to none’
David Montgomery has no regrets about signing with Detroit over the past offseason.
Montgomery, who signed a three-year, $18 million deal with the Lions last March, has experienced a “special” debut season in Motown.
The 26-year-old not only has put up career-best marks, including 4.6 yards per carry, 72.5 rushing yards per game and double-digit touchdowns for the first time in his career (13), but he’s also enjoyed every single moment of playing for the city of Detroit and its loyal, rabid fanbase.
“This is second to none. I’ve never been a part of or seen anything like it,” Montgomery told reporters Friday. “Like, just the way that this place, this city, you can feel how authentic it is. You can feel the love and warmth from the entire city. So, just being a part of it is special.”
When the veteran back took pen to paper and inked his freeagent contract, he believed the Lions were on the verge of moving past their rebuilding ways and turning around their fortunes. And boy, was he right.
In 2023, Detroit has produced one of the best seasons in franchise history. During the regular season portion, it won 12 games and a division championship for the first time in 30 years. Plus, this postseason, the Lions have won two consecutive playoff games for the first time since 1957, and now are one win away from their first ever Super Bowl appearance.
You couldn’t have scripted
it any better for Detroit’s lead back.
“It’s special, man, it’s special,” Montgomery expressed, when asked about whether this season has lived up to his expectations. “I think every day I wake up still being able to play, and play with these guys around me — it’s definitely special.”
Lions fans weren’t all-in on Montgomery when he first signed with the organization. Instead, many were still hell-bent on bringing back fan favorite Jamaal Williams for another season.
Williams, at the time, was coming off a campaign in which he had broken Barry Sanders’ single-season record for rushing touchdowns (17) by a Detroit
running back. He had also rushed for 1,000 yards for the first time in his career (1,066), and had become known as one of the best interviews and strongest leaders in Detroit’s locker room.
Fast-forward a year, though, and Montgomery has endeared himself to the Motor City and helped Detroit fans forget about Williams. The former Bears running back has aptly absorbed Williams’ bell-cow and goalline duties, and has formed a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield with rookie Jahmyr Gibbs.
The electric tandem combined for 1,960 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground during
the regular season. All the while, the two backs have developed a brotherly bond with one another, with Montgomery often referring to Gibbs as his “lil brother.”
Montgomery is certainly proud of what his younger “brother” has accomplished in his debut NFL season. He also expressed on Friday that he believes the first-year back should win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
“I’ve never seen a rookie like ‘Jah,’” Montgomery said of Gibbs. “And just for him to be as composed as he is in high-pressure situations, that’s rare. So, he’ll be playing in this league at a high level for a long time.”
Throughout his first season in Detroit, Montgomery has also developed a great relationship with his head coach Dan Campbell.
To the fifth-year back, it stems from the two of them sharing a variety of similarities.
“When I first got the call and the opportunity to realize that I was going to be here, I looked up all his (Campbell’s) interviews, and you know, I revisited the ‘biting kneecaps’ when he first got here. To everybody else, it’s funny, but to me, it’s like, ‘I agree,’” Montgomery commented. “So, just the kind of human he is, the way he carries himself every day, it’s really, really great to finally see that he’s getting the recognition that he deserves. But, yeah, that’s my guy.”
In addition to embracing taking the field with teammates like Gibbs and playing for Campbell and the city of Detroit, Montgomery has loved every single second of playing for his son this season.
Montgomery’s now one-yearold has provided him with additional “motivation” on the field and a brand new outlook on his work-life balance. Being a father also has contributed to the 2023 campaign being Montgomery’s “best” as an NFL player.
“It’s the best season I’ve had,” he expressed. “And, I think, not from a statistical standpoint — I mean, it is. But, from like an emotional standpoint, from like a love, like it’s just been really, really fun, and it’s been a blessing to be a part of.”