The NFL Combine is all about being honest with scouts, coaches and management, but sometimes a player can be to honest for his own good.
Former LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery was a bit too honest with reporters, when he in great detail, talked about hundreds of dollars worth of bets he had with teammate Barkevious Mingo while they were in college, and a $5,000 bet on which one is drafted higher according to Pro Football Talk.
Montgomery also admitted that he would take plays off, and coast against weaker opponents.
“You know, some weeks when we didn’t have to play the harder teams, there were some times when effort was not needed,” Montgomery said. “But when we had the big boys coming in, the ‘Bamas or the South Carolinas, I grabbed close to those guys and went all out.
“Of course, this is a new league, the NFL and there are no small teams, small divisions, it is all Alabamas and LSUs every week. It’s definitely something I have to get adjusted to, but I’m sure with the right coaching I will be fine.
When asked if he felt NFL brass would be concerned with his flip the switch mentality, Montgomery hinted out that he had changed and matured since then.
“When you are a young, you do things as a boy, but when you grow, you do things as a man,” he said. “From a maturing standpoint, and from everything going into this league that I have learned so far, I was a boy in college, and now that I am going
into the league, I’ve become a man.”
Montgomery also was again asked about those big money bets with Mingo. He admitted he and Mingo had a $500 bet on who had more sacks in the final game, $1,000 on season sacks along with the big $5,000 wager on draft status.
“Here’s the thing: Hard work, and betting like that, pushes greatness,” Montgomery said. “That’s actually motivating me and Mingo. It’s not about the money, it’s about pushing us, at the combine and the drills in between. That’s what is pushing us to be the best.
“It’s always been competitive for me and Mingo and it makes us better in the end. He’s a fast defensive end, I’m more physical. We have to switch over in those realms, so putting big stakes on it makes us more dominant players in the end.”
I’m sure everyone is going to want to know where those funds came from to make such bets. I’m going to assume, nevermind.!