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ESPN - First year of high school football proves fruitful for Montgomery - Insider

By Craig Haubert
Scouts Inc.

Updated: April 25, 2008

Sam Montgomery, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds
ESPN 150 Watch List defensive end
Greenwood (S.C.)

Sam Montgomery has been taking much of the recruiting world by storm. Despite 2007 being his first season of high school football, he quickly rose among the nation's elite defensive-line recruits. He has racked up more than 15 scholarship offers, been named an Under Armour All-American and is an ESPN 150 Watch List prospect. None of this has really shocked the athletic defensive end.

"I worked out, kept myself in top-top shape. I always knew I could be a great football player, I just never went out," said Montgomery.

He played football in middle school but concentrated on basketball, his first love, when he hit high school. It was some poorly-received advice that kept him off the gridiron.

"At first I didn't trust the head coach [Shell Dula]. Some of the past players said that he messed them up. Being hard headed I listened to the other guys," Montgomery said.

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