Things aren’t always what they seem. Public exteriors that appear strong, powerful and confident can actually be fragile, unstable and disengaged. Take Greg Montgomery, for example. Montgomery was a star NFL punter for nine seasons, playing for the Houston Oilers, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. When he was on the field, Montgomery had the game mastered: an all-pro in 1989 and 1993, who led the NFL in gross punting average three times. During Montgomery’s time in the NFL, he was one of the most talented and recognized punters. But off the field, Montgomery was struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness – bipolar disorder.
I recently had a chance to talk with Greg Montgomery after meeting him at Mental Health America’s (MHA) Annual Conference in Washington, DC, where he served as a keynote speaker.
Montgomery’s football career began with a rough start. A high school back injury ended his dream of playing linebacker, and instead, forced him to play punter. Even though Montgomery became a record-setting punter at Michigan State and was later picked up by the Houston Oilers, he struggled with self-doubt and the pressure to perform. Montgomery also struggled to recognize the punter as being a legitimate part of the team. He once remarked in a Sports Illustrated article, “I am not a football player. I simply improve the position of the players on the field.”
Throughout his NFL career, Montgomery was consumed with high personal standards and anxiety. “I busted my tail and took it upon myself to reinvent the position on and off the field,” he said.
In addition to mental stress, Montgomery was also dealing with tremendous physical pain. Lingering complications from his high school back injury plagued him throughout his NFL career. The injury would remain untreated until after his retirement.
“Certainly as a man, and even more so, as a professional football player, you’re taught to work through the pain and tough it out,” says Montgomery. For nearly a decade, Montgomery battled daily physical pain, stress and overwhelming feelings of hopelessness.
“It was the toughest fight of my life,” says Montgomery.
In 1997, when Montgomery arrived at camp for his second season with the Baltimore Ravens, his mental struggles were beginning to take their toll. He had a wild new look, including tattoos, body piercings, painted fingernails and bleached hair. But as he recalls, he was even wilder on the inside.
“I remember being in pre-season camp with the Ravens,” says Montgomery. “I was the best punter on the planet and had absolutely no confidence. I was spiraling out of control feeling supercharged one week and exhausted the next.”
Shortly after the 1997 season began, doctors diagnosed Montgomery with bipolar disorder. While he finished the season with the Ravens, he left the game for good one year later.
Now, almost 15 years later, Montgomery continues to live with bipolar disorder. He enjoys working as a coach (www.prokickamerica.com), working with both college football teams as well as NFL punters, including Donnie Jones (Rams), Kevin Huber (Bengals), and Australian free agent Chris Bryan. Additionally, Montgomery writes a blog — Zen in the Art of Being Bipolar — and helps raise awareness about mental health by serving as an advocate, author and spokespersons for various organizations, including Screening for Mental Health.
Montgomery hopes by sharing his story, others may be helped.
“I’ve found the strength to navigate through bipolar disorder’s gauntlet. I’ve learned that it’s not a death sentence, but actually a gift. Simply a race car that needs to be learned to be driven.”
Watch a documentary on Greg Montgomery’s story here.