CLEVELAND — Earlier this month, News 5 shared the story of John Carroll University standout wide receiver Tyren Montgomery and his unique football journey. After playing basketball through high school and into college at LSU, Montgomery's journey took him on a different path after his mother, Tara, got sick and he returned home to Texas.
Sometimes dreams are a lifelong thing, pursued for as long as one can remember. But sometimes dreams are discovered down the way, realized through life experiences. The latter is true for Tyren Montgomery.
Montgomery's pursuit of playing college football led him to program records and success at JCU, and as shared in the first story, landed him an invite to The American Bowl, which took place on Thursday. A college football all-star game, The American Bowl showcases the top 120 national prospects projected to be selected in the 4th-7th rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft. That is Montgomery's ultimate goal.
Down in Lakeland, Florida, Montgomery spent the week on the fields in front of large contingents of pro scouts looking to find talent ahead of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. He got to work with and against talent from programs all over the country, allowing him to showcase his skill sets while also taking away some things of his own.
"Throughout the season, I saw a lot of zone coverage, so going out there, I saw a lot of press man coverage, 1-on-1s and stuff like that and I didn't really see that in my season," Montgomery said. "I was pretty confident in myself. I went out there and performed. I just trusted my abilities and my talent and all the work that I've been putting in."
That was something Montgomery entered the week's events prepared to do. He said during the first story with News 5 that the American Bowl was the first on a list of upcoming goals he had set for himself.
"Just right now, just go to the American Bowl, do what I'm supposed to do and after that, hopefully we get that [Senior] Bowl. After that, hopefully we get that Combine," he said.
The work Montgomery put in paid off. A day before the actual game on Jan. 22, he received a phone call from Scott Phillips Jr., who is the executive director of The American Bowl.
"Coach Scott, he called me the morning of the American Bowl Game and was like, 'Ty, we need you to come to the ballroom, it's important.' So I was a little nervous, I'm like, 'Did I do something bad?' I knew I didn't do anything bad so I went down to the ballroom, and he was like, 'Are you tired?' and I was like, 'Oh, I feel good, I feel good.' He was like, 'Are you ready to catch some passes for me today?' and I was like, 'Yeah, of course.' He was like, 'Good, because you just got invited to the Senior Bowl.'"
Montgomery was one of a handful of participants who stood out and were given invites to the Panini Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Jan. 31. The event is considered a major step in the NFL Draft process; many consider it the first step in the selection process. Over 900 club personnel representing all 32 NFL teams will be on site, scouting out the talent they want on their team this season.
For Montgomery, this was always the path. He spoke it into existence, and it came to fruition. It's something he is taking great pride in, not just because he's making his dreams a reality, but because he gets to represent the Blue Streaks along the way.
"It means a lot to Division III. I was the only Division III player at the American Bowl, I'm the only Division III player at the Senior Bowl, so I just want to represent for the Division III players and just show them, show the scouts, show everybody, there's talent everywhere, not just at the Division I level. Everybody's journey is different," Montgomery said.
Montgomery will head to Mobile for a week of practices and events with the Senior Bowl game played at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 31.
As he prepares to showcase his talent once again, with the hope that this stop leads to an invitation to the NFL Combine next month, he's also going out on the field representing something bigger than football.
"I want to give the biggest shout-out to my mother. My mother passed last year, and I feel like this has a lot to do with her. I feel like she's opening these doors for me and I just got to walk through the doors and just do my thing," Montgomery said. "She saw this vision for me before I even saw it for myself so now that she's gone and I'm over here accomplishing these things, it really feels like this is her dream and [I'm] fulfilling her dream. She's my 'why,' most importantly."
