Where is David Montgomery from? Hometown, high school and more to know about Lions RB's Cincinnati roots

Daniel Mader

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Where is David Montgomery from? Hometown, high school and more to know about Lions RB's Cincinnati roots image

David Montgomery has carved out a role as one of the NFL's most reliable running backs, especially in short-distance situations. From his early years with the Chicago Bears, to his key role in the Detroit Lions' run-heavy system, Montgomery has proven himself as a strong weapon.

However, he wasn't always a running back -- and Montgomery came up in a different part of the mid-west. 

Formerly known as a star dual-threat quarterback, Montgomery grew up in Cincinnati Bengals territory before emerging as an All-American running back.

Here's what to know about Montgomery's roots, from his hometown to his high school stats.

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Where is David Montgomery from?

Montgomery grew up around Cincinnati, Ohio. He became a standout quarterback, but a running back prospect, as he came up in high school.

In Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season, Montgomery's Lions paid a visit to the Bengals, which was a homecoming for the running back. Ahead of that game, Montgomery shared that it was also special for him because his sister could come watch him play after a car accident left her paralyzed the prior year.

“I think this is really special for me because my sister gets to come to the game,” Montgomery said, via Pride of Detroit. “Almost a year ago—maybe a year and a half—on Valentine’s Day, my sister got in a really bad car accident. Now she’s paralyzed from the neck down. She, obviously, can’t move, but this will be the first game that my sister can actually see me play with her own eyes. So I’m super, super excited about that, and I’m just happy that she’ll be able to be there.”

The game marked Montgomery's first time playing an NFL game at the Bengals, his home territory.

“I think it’s just going to be a rush of emotions,” Montgomery said, per Pride of Detroit. “I have never played in Cincinnati since leaving Cincinnati, which will be cool. Playing against the team that, when I grew up, that was the team, was like my team. That was a hometown kid. A bunch of my family members are coming.”

Fox highlighted Montgomery's return to Cincinnati ahead of the game as well, with the running back sharing details of his upbringing.

Montgomery was also seen spending time with his mother and sister pregame:

In an emotional homecoming game, Montgomery wound up throwing a rare touchdown pass to Brock Wright, then rushing for another to extend Detroit's lead. His sister was seen celebrating the scores:

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David Montgomery high school

David Montgomery attended Mt. Healthy Jr./Sr. High School in Cincinnati. During his time with the Fighting Owls, Montgomery became an elite dual-threat quarterback, named the 2015 Division III Ohio Player of the Year and Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year.

However, Montgomery wasn't a highly recruited prospect, with 247Sports giving him a three-star rating as the 38th-best player in Ohio.

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David Montgomery high school stats

Montgomery rushed for a total of 6,666 yards and 91 touchdowns in his four-year high school career. His 2,707 yards in 2015 were the 21st-best single-season total in Ohio prep history, also with tallied 41 rushing TDs and 10.1 yards per carry that year, per Iowa State. In his senior year, Montgomery also had 726 yards and seven touchdowns through the air as his team finished 8-4.

As a junior, Montgomery posted 1,951 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground, with 836 yards and seven touchdowns through the air, per Iowa State. In his sophomore year, he rushed for 1,783 yards and 22 touchdowns with 685 yards passing and an additional 11 touchdowns. 

Given his prowess as a runner, Montgomery eventually became a running back prospect, which led him to the NFL.

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Where did David Montgomery go to college?

Montgomery committed to Iowa State, where he spent his entire collegiate career. He played for the Cyclones from 2016-18.

After leading the team in rushing yards as a freshman, Montgomery broke out in 2017. Following his standout sophomore and junior seasons, Montgomery took his talents to the NFL, becoming a third-round pick by the Bears.

Over his Iowa State career, Montgomery was a two-time First-Team All-American and two-time First-Team All-Big 12 selection.

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David Montgomery college stats

Here's a look at Montgomery's numbers over three seasons at Iowa State:

SeasonGamesAttemptsRushing YardsYPCRushing TDsReceptionsRec. YardsRec. TDs
2016121095635.22131290
2017132581,1474.411362960
2018122571,2164.713221570
Career:376242,9264.726715820

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.