Glenn Montgomery

{{Short description|American football player (1967–1998)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Glenn Montgomery

| number = 94, 97

| position = Defensive tackle

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1967|3|31}}

| birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|6|28|1967|3|31}}

| death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 282

| high_school = West Jefferson (LA)

| college = Houston

| draftyear = 1989

| draftround = 5

| draftpick = 131

| pastteams =

| highlights =

| statlabel1 = Tackles

| statvalue1 = 228

| statlabel2 = Sacks

| statvalue2 = 13.5

| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue3 = 11

| pfr = M/MontGl20

}}

Glenn Steven Montgomery (March 31, 1967 – June 28, 1998) was an American professional football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL).

Football career

Montgomery grew up in a poverty-stricken area and starred at West Jefferson High School in Harvey, Louisiana. His brother, Sean, a member of the U.S. Junior Olympic wrestling team, developed problems related to schizophrenia.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/1997/07/12/1997-07-12_seahawks_dt_in_grim_struggle.html |title=New York Daily News - New York Daily News |website=New York Daily News |access-date=2009-08-23 |archive-date=2020-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624191301/https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/1997/07/12/1997-07-12_seahawks_dt_in_grim_struggle.html |url-status=live }} To help his brother, Montgomery accepted a scholarship to Houston, where his 12 sacks during his 1988 senior season was one short of a team record. Concerned about the welfare of his brother, he almost left the school, but he was talked out of it by the coaches.

The {{convert|6|ft|m|adj=on}}, 283-pound Montgomery was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fifth round of the 1989 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1989 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1989/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en |archive-date=2019-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705122941/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1989/draft.htm |url-status=live }} He became a starter by 1993. Despite his lack of height for his position, Montgomery steadily grew into a defensive force throughout his seven years with Houston.

In 1996, Montgomery was traded from the Oilers to the Seattle Seahawks.{{Cite web |url=http://www.titansonline.com/team/history/history-1990s.html |title=Tennessee Titans | History 1990's |access-date=2010-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408074951/http://www.titansonline.com/team/history/history-1990s.html |archive-date=2009-04-08 |url-status=dead }}

Death

Montgomery was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease in July 1997 and died of the disease in Dallas, Texas on June 28, 1998. He was 31 years old.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/063098/LD0609.shtml |title=Sports - LubbockOnline.com ALS claims former Oiler Montgomery | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |access-date=2009-08-04 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221147/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/063098/LD0609.shtml |url-status=live }}

He founded the Glenn Montgomery Foundation, which helped patients coping with the disease.

In the months before his death, Montgomery had been working with a Houston television reporter on a series about the effects of the disease. The Houston Muscle Team Dinner, held shortly after Montgomery died, was dedicated to him. The event attracted more than 450 people and raised $107,000 to benefit MDA programs throughout the Texas Gulf Coast area.{{Cite web |url=http://www.als-mda.org/Publications/als/als3_5.html |title=The ALS Newsletter 3-5 | MDA |access-date=2009-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107054246/http://www.als-mda.org//publications/als/als3_5.html |archive-date=2009-01-07 |url-status=dead }}

References

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