Wilbert Montgomery
Teams
Philadelphia Eagles (1977-1984)
Detroit Lions (1985)
Playoffs
Appearances - 4 (1978,1979,1980,1981)
Conf Champ Games - 1 (1980)
Super Bowls - 1 (1980)
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
All-Pro Second Team - 2 (1978,1979)
Pro Bowl - 2 (1978,1979)
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Rush - #64
Rushing Yards per Game - #72
Rushing Yards - #72
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#4-1979,1981, #5-1978)
Rushing Touchdowns (#5-1982, #7-1978, #8-1980, #9-1979)
Yards per Rush (#2-1981, #6-1982, #7-1978)
Rushing Yards per Game (#3-1978, #4-1979,1981, #8-1980)
Total Touchdowns (#4-1982, #5-1979, #7-1980, #8-1978)
Scrimmage Yards (#1-1979, #3-1981, #7-1978)
Yards per Touch (#4-1982, #5-1981)
After 4 seasons at Abilene Christian in which he set the NAIA record for career touchdowns with 76, including 37 as a freshman while leading the Wildcats to a national title, Wilbert Montgomery was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 6th round of the 1977 NFL Draft.
Montgomery got very little playing time as a rookie, but in his second season he earned the starting job and made an immediate impact. He gained 1220 rushing yards and scored 9 touchdowns, and was named to the Pro Bowl.
He was even better the next season, gaining 1512 rushing yards, and leading the league in scrimmage yards with 2006, which earned him votes for MVP and got him into his second straight Pro Bowl. He unfortunately also led the league with 14 fumbles that season.
In 1980, his production dropped off significantly, with only 778 yards on the ground, but the Eagles were able to reach the Super Bowl, where they faced the Oakland Raiders. Montgomery gained 135 total yards in that game, but it wasn't enough for Philly, who lost 27-10.
Montgomery bounced back with his strongest season in 1981, with 1402 yards and an average of 4.9 yards per carry, his career best. He finished with 1923 scrimmage yards, which put him in third place for the season, but the Eagles fell in the first round of the playoffs.
His next two seasons were marred by injuries, allowing him to appear in only 13 games over that time, but he was finally healthy again in 1984 and returned to his starting role, but time had taken its toll, and he only rushed for 789 yards before being released. When he left, he was the Eagles' all-time leader in most rushing categories.
He signed with Detroit for one final season, but he was a shell of his former self, and decided to retire from playing. In later years, he spent 19 seasons as a running backs coach in the NFL, coaching some great backs and winning two Super Bowl titles in the process.
LeSean McCoy has broken Montgomery's Eagles rushing yardage records, but Montgomery was still a very good running back for many years. He was near the top of the league in scrimmage yards 3 times, leading the league once, and always averaged at least 4 yards per carry through his first 7 seasons. Not too many people today recall his name, but he is one of the all-time greats.
No comments:
Post a Comment