Glenn Montgomery
Date of birth | March 31, 1967 |
---|---|
Place of birth | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Date of death | June 28, 1998 31) | (aged
Place of death | Dallas, Texas |
Career information | |
Position(s) | Defensive tackle |
College | Houston |
NFL draft | 1989 / Round: 5 |
Career history | |
As player | |
1989–1995 | Houston Oilers |
1996 | Seattle Seahawks |
Career stats | |
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Glenn Steven Montgomery (March 31, 1967 – June 28, 1998) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League.
Football career
Montgomery grew up in a poverty-stricken area and starred at West Jefferson High School in Harvey, Louisiana. His brother, Sean, a member of the U.S. Junior Olympic wrestling team, developed problems related to schizophrenia.[1] To help his brother, Montgomery accepted a scholarship to Houston, where his 12 sacks during his 1988 senior season was one short of a team record. Concerned about the welfare of his brother, he almost left the school, but he was talked out of it by the coaches.
The 6-foot (1.8 m), 283-pound Montgomery was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fifth round of the 1989 NFL Draft and became a starter by 1993. Despite his lack of height for his position, Montgomery steadily grew into a defensive force throughout his seven years with Houston.
In 1996, Montgomery was traded from the Oilers to the Seattle Seahawks.[2]
Death
Montgomery was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease in July 1997 and died of the disease in Dallas, Texas on June 28, 1998. He was 31 years old.[3]
He founded the Glenn Montgomery Foundation, which helped patients coping with the disease.
In the months before his death, Montgomery had been working with a Houston television reporter on a series about the effects of the disease. The Houston Muscle Team Dinner, held shortly after Montgomery died, was dedicated to him. The event attracted more than 450 people and raised $107,000 to benefit MDA programs throughout the Texas Gulf Coast area.[4]