Most players sleep in the dorms during fall camp. That's already not the most comfortable situation - any regular-sized who's slept in a dorm bed knows that, let alone football players.
But Mizzou wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery took it a step further in his first fall camp with the Tigers, sleeping in the locker room for the majority of the festivities. Montgomery was the first time team captain Jamal Roberts , who's entering his fourth season of college football and has participated in the same amount of fall camps, had seen somebody sleep in the locker room.
That number grew exponentially throughout camp.
"I've never really seen guys sleep in the locker room," Roberts said. "Once Naeshaun starts sleeping in the locker room, a lot of guys bought in and tagged along. It was a lot more guys just in Naeshaun sleeping in the locker room."
Montgomery, a first-year Tiger in his sophomore season, became an unexpected ringleader of fall camp. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz highlighted Montgomery as one of Mizzou's "biggest improvers from spring to now." Montgomery is also listed as the starting X wideout on Missouri 's depth chart for its Week 1 game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff , a spot he shares with senior Cincinatti transfer Caleb Goodie.
It's hard to imagine at least part of that job wasn't earned from his dedication and culture-setting during camp. Even Nicholas Rodriguez , a team captain and one of the biggest personalities on the team, couldn't keep up with Montgomery.
"I wasn't as consistent as he was. I mean, I probably had a night. He was here every night, every day of the week," Rodriguez said. "We would walk in (at) 6 a.m. and, I mean, I got some videos. Like he's laying on his air mattress, and I just jump on it, wake him up."
Roberts believes the trend brings a fresh element to the new-look Missouri squad.
"It just builds a lot because it's just something new," Roberts said. "I mean, the brotherhood, like a lot of the guys just buying in, like a lot of guys just listen to Coach Drink. The guys just listen to the brotherhood. Just guys next to them to the left and the right. I mean, just a lot of guys buying into each other and you know just moving in the same direction."
Montgomery has also developed on-field chemistry with his new quarterback, Ole Miss transfer and first-year Tiger Austin Simmons. The two Florida natives will take the field for the first time together Thursday when Missouri hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff for its season opener. Based on what Montgomery's done during fall camp, it's worth keeping an eye on him in the Week 1 contest.
"He's made some unbelievable catches... he's been very consistent. I expect him to have a big role. I think he'll be one of the top four or five snap-getters in the wide receiver position, and he's got a good rapport with Austin right now, which has been fun to watch in those guys develop. He's still learning, still trying to improve, but you can tell he's playing with more confidence than he had when he first showed up than when he showed up in the spring."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/missouri as Mizzou WR Naeshaun Montgomery Slept in the Locker Room During Fall Camp. He's Now a Starter. .
