Lions star David Montgomery reveals fantasy football managers played part in battle with suicidal thoughts

This communicative discusses suicide. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is having thoughts of suicide, delight interaction the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline astatine 988 oregon 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Detroit Lions moving backmost David Montgomery revealed helium had to flooded acheronian thoughts aft being overwhelmed with accent phantasy shot managers contributed to. 

Montgomery made an quality connected Sports Illustrated’s "Fantasy Dirt" podcast and said his clip arsenic a rookie successful 2019 with the Chicago Bears progressive dense accent and suicidal thoughts. 

Pressure and words from disgruntled phantasy managers who drafted Montgomery for their teams did not help.

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Detroit Lions moving backmost David Montgomery (5) fends disconnected a tackle from Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) successful the archetypal fractional astatine State Farm Stadium. (Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images)

"When I was a rookie, I had a real, existent stressful clip successful the league," Montgomery explained. 

"I was astatine a constituent wherever I would person this suicidal thought, and it was conscionable a depressing and a scary twelvemonth for me. And, unfortunately, fantasy, the radical successful phantasy were benignant of helping. They were helping maine benignant of beryllium aided to feeling that way. I was astatine a constituent wherever I was frightened to live."

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Too galore times we perceive stories astir however phantasy shot managers oregon sports bettors actively scope retired to athletes successful assorted sports, adding to the unit of performing. And, galore times, those words, whether successful idiosyncratic oregon done societal media, incorporate explicit messaging. 

Montgomery said helium had to interruption retired of that mindset, and it was his nephew who helped him out. 

"I went done each of that stuff, and 1 idiosyncratic who saved my beingness was my nephew," helium began. "I was successful a concern to wherever I was this close to doing thing that I knew I shouldn’t person done, that would person changed the trajectory of my beingness oregon changed the trajectory of everybody other astir maine successful my life. 

"And my nephew called me, close erstwhile I was successful the midst of doing so. And helium didn’t accidental thing astir football. He didn’t accidental thing astir however accelerated I was. He conscionable said, ‘Uncle Dave, I miss you. How are you doing?’ And my nephew, and it meant truthful overmuch to me, due to the fact that my nephew, helium has leukemia.

"And I was successful a precise acheronian place, precise very acheronian place. And from that constituent on, proceeding my nephew’s voice, I made a vow to myself and a committedness to myself that I would never, ever let anybody other to person that overmuch power implicit my mind, my assemblage to marque maine consciousness similar I wasn’t worthy thing oregon valued successful a airy to wherever I had a intent connected this Earth."

Detroit Lions moving backmost David Montgomery (5) runs against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) during the archetypal fractional astatine Ford Field successful Detroit Sept. 30, 2024. (IMAGN)

Montgomery, who played 4 seasons with the Bears earlier signing with the Lions successful escaped bureau successful 2023, said therapy has been a large help. 

"I got a truly bully therapist," helium said. "I’ve been moving with a therapist for 5 years present and being capable to modulate and explicit my emotions and being capable to let myself to cognize that I americium enough, you know, and I’ve been done a batch of things. I’ve been done a batch of places wherever radical don’t adjacent cognize who I am. But I get to make that cognition for myself, to however I presumption myself and however my lad views me. And, you know, I’m having the champion clip of my life. And I’m enjoying beingness for precisely what it is."

Montgomery’s displacement to Detroit worked retired good past season. He ran for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns successful a strategy that progressive dynamic rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. 

Detroit Lions moving backmost David Montgomery astatine the Detroit Lions' signifier analyzable successful Allen Park July 24, 2024 (IMAGN)

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In 4 games this season, Montgomery has tally for 271 yards connected 63 carries with 4 touchdowns. 

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