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.jpg) Montgomery with thePhiladelphia Eagles in 1980 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 31, 28 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1954-09-16)September 16, 1954 (age 71) Greenville, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Greenville | ||||||||||||||
| College | Abilene Christian (1973–1976) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1977: 6th round, 154th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Wilbert Montgomery (born September 16, 1954) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back for nine years with thePhiladelphia Eagles and theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theAbilene Christian Wildcats. After his playing career, Montgomery was the running backs andtight ends coach for theSt. Louis Rams (1997–2005) and running backs coach for the Lions (2006–2007),Baltimore Ravens (2008–2013) andCleveland Browns (2014–2015).
An outstanding athlete atAbilene Christian University, Montgomery was a four-year starter at running back and set the all-timeNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics record for touchdowns with 76. He broke the record for touchdowns by a freshman with 37, and helped lead the Wildcats to theNAIA Division I National Championship in 1973. That same year, he was featured in "Faces in the Crowd" in the November 12 issue ofSports Illustrated.[1]
Montgomery was selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the1977 NFL draft.[2] Wearing number 31, Montgomery played eight seasons with Philadelphia, shattering most Eagles' rushing records and leading the club in rushing six times. He concluded his NFL career with theDetroit Lions in 1985, and still holds or previously held seven Philadelphia rushing records, including: career attempts (1,465), rushing yards (6,538, broken byLeSean McCoy in 2014),[2] attempts in a season (338 in 1979, broken byRicky Watters in 1996), rushing yards in a season (1,512 in 1979, since broken by LeSean McCoy in 2013),[2] career 100-yard rushing games (26), 100-yard rushing games in a season (8 in 1981), and touchdowns in a game (4). In the 1980 NFC championship game, Montgomery rushed for a then-franchise postseason record 194 yards, leading the team toSuper Bowl XV, the first Super Bowl in team history. In 1979, Montgomery led theNFL with 2,012 all-purpose yards (rushing, receiving, returns). Over his NFL career, he accumulated 6,789 yards rushing, 2,502 receiving, 814 kickoff return yards, 57 touchdowns (45 rushing, 12 receiving, 1 kickoff return), and twoPro Bowl invitations (1978–79).
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | FR | ||
| 1977 | PHI | 14 | 1 | 45 | 183 | 4.1 | 13.1 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1978 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 259 | 1,220 | 4.7 | 87.1 | 47 | 9 | 34 | 195 | 5.7 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 1979 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 338 | 1,512 | 4.5 | 94.5 | 62 | 9 | 41 | 494 | 12.0 | 53 | 5 | 14 | 2 |
| 1980 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 193 | 778 | 4.0 | 64.8 | 72 | 8 | 50 | 407 | 8.1 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1981 | PHI | 15 | 15 | 286 | 1,402 | 4.9 | 93.5 | 41 | 8 | 49 | 521 | 10.6 | 35 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 1982 | PHI | 8 | 8 | 114 | 515 | 4.5 | 64.4 | 90 | 7 | 20 | 258 | 12.9 | 42 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 1983 | PHI | 5 | 1 | 29 | 139 | 4.8 | 27.8 | 32 | 0 | 9 | 53 | 5.9 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | PHI | 16 | 15 | 201 | 789 | 3.9 | 49.3 | 27 | 2 | 60 | 501 | 8.4 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 1985 | DET | 7 | 6 | 75 | 251 | 3.3 | 35.9 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 55 | 7.9 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 107 | 88 | 1,540 | 6,789 | 4.4 | 63.4 | 90 | 45 | 273 | 2,502 | 9.2 | 53 | 12 | 42 | 9 | |
Montgomery joined theSt. Louis Rams' coaching staff as running backs coach in 1997, coachingPro Bowl running backsMarshall Faulk andSteven Jackson. Under Montgomery's leadership, Faulk moved into 12th place on the NFL's rushing yardage list, and Jackson finished third in theNFL among rookie running backs. He won his first Super Bowl title when the Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans inSuper Bowl XXXIV.[3]
At the 2002NFC Championship game between theTampa Bay Buccaneers andPhiladelphia Eagles atVeterans Stadium, Montgomery was the Eagles’ honorary captain, and introduced to a thunderous ovation prior to the game.
He joined the Ravens in 2008 and was running backs coach through the 2013 season.[4] He won his second Super Bowl title when the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers inSuper Bowl XLVII.[5]
Montgomery was hired as running backs coach of the Cleveland Browns on February 6, 2014. He was not retained after Head Coach Mike Pettine was fired.[6]
Montgomery is a native ofGreenville, Mississippi, and one of four brothers (Fred,Cleotha Montgomery, and Tyrone) who played in the NFL. Montgomery earned theAbilene Christian University Alumni Citation Award in 1979, was inducted onto the inauguralPhiladelphia Eagles Honor Roll in 1987, and was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Montgomery and his wife Patti have three children, twins Briana and Brendan, and a son, Tavian. Montgomery also has a daughter, Sherrita, and a son Derron, who was awide receiver for the Iowa State Cyclones and a Graduate Assistant and Assistant wide receiver coach for the Miami Hurricanes. Derron was a wide receiver coach for the Michigan Wolverines, tight ends coach for his father's alma materAbilene Christian University and is now the Offensive Quality Control - Assistant RB's coach for theMinnesota Vikings. Tavian is a current college sophomore, playing cornerback for Northern Arizona University.