Greg Montgomery

Gregory Hugh Montgomery Jr. (October 29, 1964 – August 23, 2020) was an American professional football player who was an All-Pro punter for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Greg Montgomery

No. 9
Position:	Punter
Personal information
Born:	(1964-10-29)October 29, 1964 Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Died:	August 23, 2020(2020-08-23) (aged 55) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	Red Bank Regional (Little Silver, New Jersey)
College:	Penn State Michigan State
NFL draft:	1988: 3rd round, 72nd pick
Career history
Houston Oilers (1988–1993) Detroit Lions (1994) Baltimore Ravens (1996–1997)
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (1993) First-team All-American (1986) Second-team All-American (1987) 3× First-team All-Big Ten (1985, 1986, 1987)
Career NFL statistics
Punts: 524 Punting yards: 22,831 Longest punt: 77 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Born in Morristown, New Jersey, and raised in Shrewsbury, Montgomery played football at Red Bank Regional High School, where he had hoped to be a linebacker rather than a punter.^[1][2]

Montgomery spent his freshman collegiate year at Penn State, but then transferred to Michigan State, where his father had played quarterback thirty years earlier.^[3]

As a junior, he was honored by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) as a first-team All-American,^[4] and as a senior he was selected to the second-team by United Press International.^[5] In 1996, Montgomery was chosen for the MSU Centennial Super Squad.^[6]

Montgomery was selected in the third round of the 1988 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers.^[7]

From 1988 to 1997 he spent time with the Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions, and Baltimore Ravens. In his nine NFL seasons, Montgomery led the NFL in yards per punt average three times (1990, 1992, 1993), was selected to one Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro (1993), and finished his career with 22,831 punting yards and 120 punts inside the opponents 20 yard line. His longest punt of 77 yards was with the Houston Oilers.^[8]

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Punting
		GP	Punts	Yds	Net Yds	Lng	Avg	Net Avg	Blk	Ins20	TB
1988	HOU	16	65	2,523	2,217	61	38.8	34.1	0	12	5
1989	HOU	16	56	2,422	2,091	63	43.3	36.1	2	15	7
1990	HOU	16	34	1,530	1,244	60	45.0	36.6	0	7	5
1991	HOU	15	48	2,105	1,842	60	43.9	36.8	2	13	4
1992	HOU	16	53	2,487	2,052	66	46.9	37.3	2	14	9
1993	HOU	15	54	2,462	2,113	77	45.6	39.1	0	13	5
1994	DET	16	63	2,782	2,191	64	44.2	34.2	1	19	8
1996	BAL	16	68	2,980	2,607	67	43.8	37.8	1	23	5
1997	BAL	16	83	3,540	3,040	60	42.7	36.6	0	24	2
Career		142	524	22,831	19,397	77	43.6	36.5	8	140	50

Playoffs

Year	Team	Punting
		GP	Punts	Yds	Net Yds	Lng	Avg	Net Avg	Blk	Ins20	TB
1988	HOU	2	8	336	253	51	42.0	28.1	1	0	0
1989	HOU	1	3	132	112	48	44.0	28.0	1	0	0
1990	HOU	1	6	256	194	47	42.7	32.3	0	2	1
1991	HOU	2	3	133	113	50	44.3	37.7	0	1	1
1992	HOU	1	2	49	49	25	24.5	24.5	0	0	0
1993	HOU	1	5	243	179	59	48.6	35.8	0	1	1
1994	DET	1	8	292	257	45	36.5	32.1	0	0	1
Career		9	35	1,441	1,157	59	41.2	31.3	2	4	4

Post-playing career

In 2003, Montgomery started ZenPunt 5.0, and was the company's president/CEO.^[9]

Montgomery died on August 23, 2020, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after succumbing to a long-term illness.^[1][10]