PITTSBURGH — Tyren Montgomery's mother, Tara, envisioned her son in the NFL, spoke it into existence long before he even realized it was a dream of his as well. On Saturday, Tara's manifestation took shape as Montgomery signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent.
Montgomery began his football journey later than perhaps all of the draft hopefuls this year.
A standout basketball player, Montgomery played all throughout high school in Texas and was a walk-on at LSU right out of high school. But after Tara got sick, Montgomery went back home to Houston to be with her.
Playing football in the backyard with his younger brother, the dream was spoken, and the work began.
Joining a flag football team, Montgomery turned his flag football highlights into his first real highlight reel and then sent it everywhere he could. Nicholls State University, a Division I school, took a chance and brought Montgomery into its football program.
Montgomery later entered the transfer portal and landed at JCU, where he absolutely thrived. In the two seasons he played for the Blue Streaks, Montgomery set numerous school records. He holds the titles of most receptions in a single season, most receiving touchdowns for a wide receiver in a single season, and most receiving yards in a single season.
His impressive year with the Blue Streaks earned him an invite to the American Bowl. He was a standout there and earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, where his name buzzed around NFL circles.
"Asking scouts down there, I was like, 'Give me one name that really stood out, and I had three or four send me ["Montgomery"]. So that is where I started to research him," said ESPN's Jordan Reid. "But then he goes down to the Senior Bowl, and he was one of the best players there... If he had an Ohio State helmet on or Alabama helmet on, you would have never thought that he was a Division III prospect."
But while Montgomery's stock was rising, he was also going through this part of his journey while also grieving the loss of his mother, Tara, who passed away last summer, as well as the loss of two of his 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 as a whole, but to see him continue to grind, want to train and go out and do great things for his family, I'm very proud of him," his father Greg said.
Montgomery focused everything on making Tara proud. He worked hard and reached goal after goal. He impressed at his Pro Days, participating in Toledo's as well as earning an invite to the Texans' local pro day.
His athletic ability was undeniable, and while he didn't hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft, Montgomery's ultimate goal, and Tara's vision, has now come true.
Gathered together in Texas, the Montgomery family undoubtedly felt Tara's presence, and they already knew what she'd say in this moment.
"With her big, beautiful, vibrant smile, she would look at all of us and say,' I told you guys so. I saw it,'" Greg Montgomery said.
And for Tyren Montgomery, who has dedicated his journey to his late mother, has certainly made her proud.
"I feel like she's opening these doors for me and I just got to walk through the doors and just do my thing," he told News 5 at the start of his draft journey.
