This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery revealed that he was overwhelmed by the stress of being a football coach and had to overcome dark thoughts.
Montgomery appeared on Sports Illustrated's Fantasy Dirt podcast and said he was under a lot of stress and had suicidal thoughts during his rookie year with the Chicago Bears in 2019.
Pressure and words from the disgruntled fantasy manager who drafted Montgomery into the team didn't help.
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Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery, 5, evades a tackle from Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr., 2, during the first half at State Farm Stadium. (Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images)
“When I was a rookie, I went through a really, really stressful time in the league,” Montgomery explained.
“I almost had suicidal thoughts. This year was just a depressing, scary year for me. And unfortunately, fantasy, people in fantasy helped me. They helped me. I was in a place where I was scared to live.
Detroit Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan says the Lions will go to the Super Bowl 'without President Trump's help.'
We often hear about fantasy football managers and sports bettors actively working with athletes in various sports to increase the pressure to perform. And often those words carry explicit messages, whether in person or through social media.
Montgomery said she had to break out of that mindset and her nephew helped her do that.
“I went through all of that, but it was my nephew who saved my life,” he began. “I was in this situation near here Doing something I knew I shouldn't have done, that would change the trajectory of my life and the trajectory of those around me.
“And just as I was doing that, my nephew called me. And he didn't say anything about football. He didn't say anything about my speed. He just said, “I miss you, Uncle Dave.'' And my nephew, that meant a lot to me, because he had leukemia. Because it is.
“And I was in a very dark place, a very, very dark place. And from that point on, hearing my nephew's voice, I swore to myself, and swore to myself, and other I promised myself that I would never allow anyone to take control of my mind and body and tell me that I am worth nothing or that I am being judged based on whether I have a purpose on this earth. It makes you feel like there isn't one.”
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery, 5, faces Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, 21, during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on September 30, 2024. . (Imagination)
Montgomery, who played four seasons with the Bears before signing with the Lions as a free agent in 2023, said therapy helped him a lot.
“I had a really good therapist,” he said. “I have been working with a therapist for five years and have learned to be able to control and express my emotions and admit to myself that I am enough. I've been through a lot of places where people don't know me, but I've felt that way myself about how I see myself and how my son sees me. I was able to create recognition. It's the best time of my life, and I'm just enjoying life.”
Montgomery's move to Detroit went well last season. He ran for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns in a scheme that involved dynamic rookie Jahmil Gibbs.
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery at the Detroit Lions practice facility in Allen Park on July 24, 2024. (Imagination)
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Montgomery ran for 271 yards on 63 carries and four touchdowns in four games this season.
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