The Woodlands’ Tyren Montgomery went from basketball to NFL hopeful

It’s 9:59 a.m. on a sunny Monday when Tyren Montgomery walks into Trident Training Systems gymnasium, simply north of Houston, for a ten a.m. exercise. 

He throws his duffel bag on a close-by shelf, unzips his brown hoodie and takes a fast peek on the white board highlighting the day’s workout routines earlier than greeting his coach Matthew Johnson. 

The makeshift fitness center, constructed behind a small church, is quiet and small. It shares an area with a soup kitchen, separated by a divider. But it has all of the gear he wants. 

Montgomery is days away from what could possibly be the largest second of his life: the NFL draft.   

“It feels good,” Montgomery says. “I just don’t want to drink my own water and get too hype. I just want to stay grounded and level-minded. Stay humble. That’s one of the things my mom taught me.”

The astonishing half about his story is that 5 years in the past, Montgomery had by no means performed deal with soccer. His mom Tara as soon as instructed him she had a dream that he would play within the NFL at some point — with out ever seeing him play aggressive soccer.

He was a basketball participant most of his life. In truth, he had by no means significantly thought-about enjoying soccer till six years in the past. 

“I thought I was going to be the next Chris Paul,” he says.

But like all moms, Tara knew greatest. Montgomery could also be drafted as early because the sixth spherical of the 2026 NFL draft, which begins Thursday. The Houston Texans — a staff he has a number of connections to as a local of The Woodlands and a John Carroll University alum — might even choose him. He visited with the staff April 11. 

There have been a number of gamers within the league who’ve efficiently made the conversion from basketball to soccer. Few have finished it this late of their school careers. At the identical time, few have been as profitable as Montgomery. In his two seasons at John Carroll, Montgomery, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver had 35 landing catches, breaking data beforehand held by Texans particular groups coordinator Frank Ross.

Still, he was comparatively unknown coming into the predraft course of, partly due to the place he performed. 

John Carroll, a Division III faculty positioned exterior Cleveland, is healthier identified for producing NFL front-office executives and coaches than draft picks.

But Montgomery impressed a number of scouts and groups on the Senior Bowl in February, the place he went up towards a number of the prime draft prospects within the nation. 

“He has an ability to contort his body and make tough catches look routine,” mentioned Ryan Wilson, an NFL draft analyst for CBS Sports. “And the fact that he had some highlight reps during Senior Bowl practices after facing only Division III competition in recent years points to him just scratching the surface on what he can become, even if he’ll turn 24 during his rookie season.”

There are doubters, too — those that query whether or not he’s prepared for this stage as a result of he performed at a Division III faculty or for under two seasons. There’s even his personal self-doubt.

But right here at this exercise, Montgomery isn’t apprehensive about that and even fascinated by it as he pushes via an intense leg circuit. 

Instead, he hears his mom’s voice in his head telling him: Don’t let anyone take this from you. Nobody on this world goes to hand you this dream. Keep working. 

And he has just one factor on his thoughts. Making Tara’s dream a actuality. 

Greg Montgomery, Tyren’s father, and Tara met in Fort Carson, Colo. Both have been within the U.S. Army and have been married for 20 years. They had two boys, Tyren and Kam, and instilled self-discipline, construction and the worth of exhausting work of their kids. 

But Tara, specifically, was additionally deeply loving.  

“She taught me how to love,” Greg Montgomery mentioned of his late spouse, who died in June 2025 after her second bout with bladder most cancers. “She was always slow to anger, get the information, digest it and make a decision based on what she had.”

Tyren described her as charismatic, at all times smiling and robust.

When he struggles throughout a exercise, he typically thinks about what his mom endured throughout her five-year battle with most cancers. It places issues in perspective — that issues aren’t at all times as tough as they appear.

Tara beloved her boys and taught them to have self-confidence and resilience. Tyren used these classes rising up. It’s why he’s giving his all to soccer. 

One day, within the spring of 2020, he was catching passes from his youthful brother Kam at a park down the road from the household’s residence in The Woodlands. 

As Tyren hauled in catch after catch, Kam — then a highschool quarterback — observed his older brother might do issues others couldn’t.

At one level in the course of the throwing session, Kam threw a excessive cross he thought was out of attain. But Tyren leaped and caught it at its highest level.

“His natural hands, his jumping ability, like even with routes, his releases — it was just natural,” mentioned Kam, now a quarterback at North Greenville University in South Carolina. “It was like he was with a basketball in his hands. And it looked clean and shifty.” 

That’s when Kam realized: “Oh yeah, he can do this.” He inspired Tyren to pursue school soccer. 

Tyren thought: Why not? What else was there to lose?

He tried to stroll on on the University of Houston. But as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the 2020 season, athletes have been granted an additional 12 months of eligibility, leaving fewer roster spots accessible.

With no sport movie aside from his exercises with a coach, he entered an grownup flag soccer event in Las Vegas. Despite by no means enjoying 7-on-7, he dominated — together with a number of “You Got Mossed” catches that drew consideration and even an Olympic invitation, which he declined.

He compiled a spotlight tape that generated curiosity from a number of Division I packages.

Still, many faculties hesitated to take an opportunity on somebody who had by no means performed deal with soccer.

Nicholls State signed him as a follow squad participant.

There, he immersed himself in studying — learning movie, memorizing the playbook, watching YouTube clips of Odell Beckham Jr. and mimicking methods on the sphere.

He even performed Madden to higher perceive defensive coverages.

He’d present up first at follow and stayed late. It was principally a crash course. 

But after struggling an harm, he misplaced his spot and commenced trying to find one other alternative.

That’s when John Carroll emerged.

All it took was one clip for Jeff Behrman, then the top coach at John Carroll, to know he needed Montgomery. He didn’t care about his lack of expertise. Sure, he was uncooked, however he had all the talents. 

“This guy was different,” Behrman mentioned of what he noticed on movie. 

They talked on the cellphone for about an hour getting to know one another, and shortly, Montgomery made his resolution to switch there.

When he arrived in the summertime of 2024, there was no easing in.

Behrman instantly built-in Montgomery into the offense and allowed him to make errors and study from them. When he tousled in follow, Behrman didn’t pull him. They ran the play over. That belief and repetition paid off.

Montgomery completed his first season with 57 receptions for 1,071 yards and 20 touchdowns — the third-most touchdowns in a single season in class historical past.

“I call guys like him at the Division III level — he was an outlier,” Behrman mentioned. “You’re not going to find many Tyren Montgomerys.” 

Montgomery had run out of eligibility, however the John Carroll teaching workers appealed to the NCAA to give him an additional 12 months, which he was granted. 

Behrman, now the coach at Bucknell, mentioned he knew what Montgomery was able to from the start. He was clever, keen to study and was humble.

But in the summertime earlier than his second season, tragedy struck the Montgomery household. Tara’s well being had been failing for a while, and she or he died June 26, 2025. 

That 12 months was robust. There have been occasions when the feelings have been an excessive amount of to bear. He’d have to go away follow simply to cry. 

Behrman, who had misplaced his personal mom 5 days earlier, leaned on Montgomery — and vice versa.

“As much as he needed me and I helped him, I needed him and he helped me throughout this entire season,” Behrman mentioned. 

Montgomery devoted the 2025 season to his mom. He set a college file with 119 receptions for 1,510 yards and 15 touchdowns.

John Carroll completed 12-2, shedding within the semifinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs. It was among the best seasons in program historical past.

Montgomery was named a second-team Associated Press All-American.

“That was just work,” he mentioned. “I was just happy I got to show everybody what I was capable of and the work I had been putting in.” 

Tyren has a tattoo honoring his mom throughout his chest. He additionally wears a purple wristband along with her birthday: April 20.

Tyren and Greg will collect at their residence in The Woodlands and name their brother Kam and inform tales and have a good time Tara’s life and the impression she made.

Her dream — that her sons would attain the NFL — is shut to turning into actuality.

“It makes me emotional to think of that,” Greg Montgomery mentioned. “To be here and witness my late wife speaking that, and to be here to witness it happening, is truly a testimony. 

“She’s still with us in spirit.”

On the day of this exercise, Montgomery leaned again in his chair and considered what draft night time may really feel like — and what his mom may say.

If  he doesn’t get drafted, that’s OK, too. He’d seemingly be picked up as an undrafted free agent. 

“If my name gets called on draft night or if it doesn’t, I just know I’ll hear that voice in my head like ‘I told you so,’” he mentioned. “Like ‘I told you this was your calling in life.’”

And that’s affirmation sufficient for the 23-year-old hopeful.