Scottie Montgomery: Coming to Detroit Signals 'You Made It'

Detroit Lions' new running backs coach has ties to Detroit.

New Detroit Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery was previously interviewed by Dan Campbell for the team's vacant offensive coordinator position last offseason. 

After running backs coach Duce Staley left the team to join the Carolina Panthers, Detroit's third-year head coach quickly decided to fill the position with a coach he has a shared football philosophy with.

"To be able to acquire him as our running backs coach and assistant head coach from the Colts, man, it was big. I think he's going to be an outstanding teacher. I think he's got a lot of versatility," Campbell said. "He's coached receivers, he's coached running backs, he's been a head coach, he's been a coordinator, he's worked with quarterbacks. So, I just think this is a talented coach that's got a lot of wisdom. He's a motivator. We're happy to have him."

Detroit Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery / © James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

The experienced coach has ties to Detroit, as he has family from the area and has spent time in the city. 

Montgomery recalled during a talk with reporters how he viewed Detroit during his childhood. 

"I will say this, growing up in the South, a lot of people say they want to go to New York, right? 'I want to go to New York. I want to go to L.A.' But, growing up in the South, especially when you grew up in the working South as an African American, you made it when you made it to Detroit," Montgomery said, via the Detroit News. "Because all the images we had from Detroit were from families, and not making this about minority or not a minority, but African American families that were together, that were led by a mother and a father, and everybody was dressed so nice.

Montgomery continued, "So, we're blessed. My wife's family is from Detroit. So, we're blessed to come to a place we spent a lot of time anyway, but also the history of when I was a kid, thinking, 'Man, if I could just finally get to Detroit, it's going to all change. We won't have dirt roads, there will be streets, some nice cars, and maybe one day, we'll work for Ford. And, we'll go from there.'"