Derron Montgomery Prepping for Outdoor Season

AMES, Iowa ? Not many athletes return to their full potential after an ACL injury. Iowa State track and field member Derron Montgomery recovered from two. The sprinter and wide receiver is now showcasing his speed on the track and working hard to return to his full potential by the time football season rolls around.

“It makes me feel good because it kind of showcases me being mentally tough,” Montgomery said. “Kind of saying ?I'm not going to let anything bring me down and I can come back from any injury they throw at me'. Right now I'm just trying to focus on getting strong for football.”

The first ACL injury came during one of Montgomery's high school football games.

“I remember the exact date, September 16, 2005, it was the first quarter of the game,” Montgomery said. “The second time was March 30, 2007, we were playing spring ball. I was running down the field and both times I never got hit, my cleat just got caught in the turf and I changed directions and my knee snapped.”

Montgomery never had doubts that he could excel within Big 12 football and track competition.

“The guys that I've been competing against in track and football are some of the same guys I competed against in high school,” Montgomery said. “So I knew right from the beginning I could run with those guys and play with those guys.”

Montgomery recalls the days he used to watch Seneca Wallace play for the Cyclones.

“I first heard about Iowa State a long time ago. I used to watch Seneca Wallace all the time, I hadn't heard much about Iowa State before him and that's how I became interested,” Montgomery said.

Iowa State sprints coach, Ronnie Williams had high hopes for Montgomery from the beginning.

“I could look at him and know he was different. I've seen a lot of guys run, a lot of talented guys run,” Williams said. “The first time I told him to run something easy and he came by running fast. A lot of times in our sport, you'll see an athlete move and run and it's a lot different from what you typically see. You'll know, ?that kid is a little bit special' and he's definitely one of those kids.”

Montgomery runs the 400-meter dash and recently placed fifth at the Big 12 Championships in Lincoln, Neb., with a mark of 47.62.

Up next for the sophomore is outdoor season, which he thinks will be a lot better than the indoor season as he is better prepared and is ready to perform.