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Commitment to Iowa a dream come true for Montgomery

Linebacker Jayden Montgomery committed to the Hawkeyes on Tuesday.
Linebacker Jayden Montgomery committed to the Hawkeyes on Tuesday.

Born in Iowa City with a father that played football at Iowa and both parents as alums, you might say that Jayden Montgomery was meant to be a Hawkeye. Today, the 5-foot-11, 215-pound linebacker took the next step towards fulfilling that lifelong dream when he accepted a scholarship offer from the Iowa coaching staff during a visit to campus.

"I think it's something that's maybe been in the works for a little bit, but they wanted to wait until they could see me in person instead of jumping on a call," said Montgomery. "We got up there and they showed me around and everything. I saw all the facilities and all the academic buildings and everything like that."

"Then Coach Ferentz said, 'This is a place that we think is an amazing fit for you. We love you as a football player, but not only as a player, as a person,' and they offered me a scholarship. For me, as soon as I heard that, it was kind of a no-brainer."

Montgomery's father, Jerry Montgomery, played at Iowa under Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz before moving into the coaching profession and is currently the defensive line coach for the Green Bay Packers.

"Both of my parents went to Iowa, so I was born and raised an Iowa fan," Montgomery said. "This is my dream school."

"I was born in the hospital in Iowa City, so ever since I was a baby I've always been a Hawkeye," said Montgomery. "My dad played and coached there and we've got pictures of me as a little kid hanging on the gates at Kinnick Stadium. Looking back on those things, it definitely adds to it."

Montgomery, who also had offers from Troy, North Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Penn, and Princeton, said getting a chance to share his commitment to Iowa with his parents on Tuesday is something he will never forget.

"I mean I don't know who was more excited, my dad or me," Montgomery said. "It was a pretty cool deal. He was ecstatic and I could tell he was definitely proud."

"It's always been a dream to be able to come up here and get an offer and have a chance to play for Iowa. It not only meant a lot to me, but it meant a ton to my parents. It was awesome."

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Overall, Montgomery is commitment No. 4 for Iowa, joining Aaron Graves, Caden Crawford, and Jack Dotzler in the Class of 2022 for the Hawkeyes.

See highlights from Montgomery's junior year at Bay Port High School in the video below.

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