Football

Lions RB David Montgomery thriving in Detroit as he's 'driven by God'

By Kevin Mercer Dec 10, 2024
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

After years of futility, last year’s Detroit Lions broke through and won a playoff game for the first time since the 1991 postseason. The 2024 Lions, however, have their sights set on a much grander prize.

Fueled by an explosive offense (scoring an NFL-best 32.1 points per game) and the second-best scoring defense, this year’s team is blazing through its schedule at 12-1 and holds a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC.

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One of the many offensive weapons Detroit has at its disposal is running back David Montgomery, the bruising complement to Jahmyr Gibbs’ lightning-quick speed. Together, Montgomery and Gibbs form the best running back duo in the NFL. The Lions have the fourth-best rushing attack in the league (151.1 yards per game), behind three teams with scrambling quarterbacks.

The 27-year-old Montgomery is tied with Gibbs for the team lead in total touchdowns this fall (12), and all of Montgomery’s have come on the ground. His career high in rushing touchdowns is 13, set last last year, so Montgomery has a good chance for a new career best with four regular-season games remaining.

His most recent TD came last Thursday on a 3-yard first-quarter plunge in Detroit’s 34-31 win against the rival Green Bay Packers, the first time in franchise history the Lions have won 11 consecutive games.

With a strong finish to the season, Montgomery — who has 771 rushing yards — may also threaten his career high in that category (currently 1,070 set with the Chicago Bears in 2020).

“Man, to me, he’s a throwback,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said about Montgomery last month. “There are throwback principles about him, and I mean that with all due respect. His running style is — it’s rare. … I think [Montgomery] is just different and he’s downhill, doesn’t give up. First guy, he’s not going to let him tackle him, continues to churn his legs, and just violent, violent, never give up, never going down.”

Montgomery was drafted out of Iowa State by the Bears in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and played his first four seasons there. He signed a three-year contract with Detroit ahead of the 2023 season, but the front office was so impressed by Montgomery’s 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns last year that the team signed him a two-year extension in October.

Montgomery has certainly found a home in Detroit, and he’s thrilled that his contributions are being noticed, but the opinion of others is not what ultimately matters.

“I don’t look to give any validation to anyone but God,” Montgomery said in August 2022. “I live my life. I’m on a spiritual journey right now for myself, and being sure that I just always focus, and keeping the main thing the main thing. That really is God, so I’m going to go out every day with the opportunity to be the best I can be. When it’s all said and done, God will take me and put me where I need to be.”

In his X bio, Montgomery writes “All in God’s Timing,” which is accompanied by a picture of his favorite Bible verse, Psalm 27:1. The verse reads, “The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?”

On the “Faith and Sports Live Podcast” from April 2022, Montgomery opened up about the significance of the verse for him.

“It just always reminded myself that I’m protected,” he said. “There’s nothing that man can say, can do, can touch, can penetrate what God’s got for me. I’m protected.”

“I am driven by God,” Montgomery said earlier in the podcast. “… Just being able to have that open line of connection with Him and always talking to Him when it’s going bad but also when it’s going really good too. Just to give Him the praise and understand He was the One who did it and I was just the vessel of it.”

He continued later, “Go take the leap and just allow God to catch you, because the faith that I’m instilling into myself and trusting in God in the dark, there’s no reason to why I can’t have faith and show off God’s glory and the gift that He’s presented to me in the light. … My faith is the main thing in my life.”

Montgomery seeks to be driven by God, even as he’s helped drive the Lions to the top of the NFL. They are tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the league. A win on Sunday in a showdown against the Buffalo Bills (10-3) would give the Lions their 13th win of the season, which would be a single-season franchise record. Kickoff from Detroit is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.

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