HOUSTON – The unique path Tyren Montgomery traveled to the NFL sounds almost like a Hollywood movie.
From the relative obscurity of playing high school basketball at Woodlands College Park to his rise to a Division III All-American football player after not playing organized football until college to proving himself to scouts by excelling in the Senior Bowl all-star game and the American Bowl, it’s been quite the journey.
Recommended Videos
It culminated Saturday when Montgomery signed an NFL contract with the Tennessee Titans after going undrafted, as first reported by KPRC 2.
“I’m stoked,” Montgomery told KPRC 2 in a telephone interview after agreeing to terms. “I’m excited. It’s a dream come true. I can’t wait to go into camp and showcase my abilities.
“I’m just grateful to be in this spot. Very humble. I just want to keep working and see how far I can take this. I’m ready to go.”
Montgomery caught 119 passes for 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, breaking records at John Carroll, a Division II powerhouse that’s the alma mater of Texans general manager Nick Caserio and several NFL coaches and executives.
Montgomery overcame a lot to reach this point. He walked on the LSU basketball team initially before transferring home to the University of Houston with the intention of playing football after shining in flag football games and learning moves by watching YouTube videos. The Coogs weren’t accepting walk-ons, though during the pandemic.
He eventually enrolled at Nicholls State, playing his first organized football. Because of NCAA rules, Montgomery was out of eligibility for a Division I school. He enrolled at John Carroll and was so dominant that he was selected to prestigious all-star games. At both the Senior Bowl and American Bowl, he proved be belonged against the athletes from the bigger schools.
“It means a lot,” Montgomery said. “It means everything. I wear this Montgomery name and I can’t put no shame on it. It’s one of one. I can’t wait to show everybody what I can do. this is my calling in life.
“I just want to go in there and show all the work I’ve been putting in, in the dark. I don’t want to put too much emotions in it. I just want to sho what I can do. Titans fans, Titan up!”
Montgomery does it all to honor the memory of his late mother, Tara. She shared his dream and encouraged him to follow his ambitions. Tara got sick and she passed away last summer. He also lost two grandparents.
“Through all the adversity that he’s gone through over the course of the last year, losing his mom, grandmom and grandfather, really took a toll on us as a family,” said his father, Greg Montgomery. “To see him continue to grind, train and go out and do great things for his family, I’m very proud of him. With her big, beautiful, vibrant smile, she would look at all of us and say, ‘I told you guys, I saw it.’”
Senior Bowl executive director Drew Fabianich became convinced Montgomery was ready to take the next step when he watched him practice.
“When I put the game together, I don’t want anybody to be out of place,” Fabianich said in a telephone interview. “If you come in from a lower Division school, they have to do really well and not get exposed. If you can compete down here, you can be successful. That’s why this game is so important.
“He came in and he produced well. He did really great. He had a great attitude. That’s what this is about. The draft starts in Mobile, Alabama. Prove yourself and succeed or get exposed. He showed he has the whole route tree, got some separation quickness. He’s really good at contested catches. He can play. I like that he shut his mouth, competed and didn’t take any s--- from anybody.”
Former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning coach Brian Billick coached Montgomery in the American Bowl.
Billick became a true believer in Montgomery.
“Great young man, really enjoyed him,” Billick said in a telephone interview. “Bright-eyed, couldn’t do enough, wanted to soak up everything he could. Athletic ability popped out at you. In a red zone drill, they threw a fade to him and it was like Michael Jordan. He went up and kept elevating. It was magnificent.
“He was a joy to be around, so intent on what do I need to do. He wanted to earn it. He was as impressive as any young rookie I’ve worked with.”
Growing up in The Woodlands, Montgomery was a basketball team captain who concentrated on hoops.
“I wanted to be the next Chris Paul,” Montgomery said. “I was a smaller guy. My body just developed late until I got into college. I ddin’t even look at football.”
Montgomery started getting bigger. He’s now up to 5-foot-11, 204 pounds.
“My athleticism started kicking in as a freshman in college,” Montgomery said. “I started jumping high. It was just more like genetics started to kick in.”
Montgomery began posting Facebook videos. He got noticed. He began playing flag football.
“It was pretty flattering,” Montgomery said.
That led to a tournament in Las Vegas and then eventually playing football at Nicholls State.
“They gave me a chance,” Montgomery said. “A lot of schools were interest, but were just scared to take a chance on me. I’m forever grateful for Nicholls giving me a chance, and I’m just blessed for the opportunity.”
Enrolling at John Carroll, a small Division III school in the Cleveland area, changed Montgomery’s life.
He set multiple school records. He now owns the records for most catches in a single season, most receiving touchdowns in a single season and most receiving yards in a single season, breaking Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross’ records.
He met Ross and Caserio at the Senior Bowl. They later invited him to participate in their local prospect day
‘Frank Ross had picked up my helmet and he was like, ‘It’s nice to see one of these again,’" Montgomery said. “He picked up my John Carroll helmet and he gave me some encouraging words right before practice, and was just like, ‘Look, we all bleed red, so just go out there, be a ballplayer.’ It gave me confidence. They were Division III players, too. They’re on top now in the NFL.”
John Carroll coach and athletic director Brian Polian couldn’t be prouder of Montgomery.
“I think it’s phenomenal because he is such a good human being,” Polian said in a telephone interview. “He’s so easy to cheer for and wish success for because he’s got a great heart, the way he treats other people, his family. It’s so easy to get behind Ty because, like I said, he’s such a great person. He looks different at our level, but there was always some though about how would this translate against better competition.
“He went to the all-star games and he competed his tail off and distinguished himself. I thine he proved he belongs out there. Clearly, if if we judge this journey through that lens, there’s no doubt it’s been a success, because if he’s not drafted, he’ll be on a roster within an hour of the end of the draft. I’m just incredibly proud and incredibly happy for he and his family.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com