If he is so inclined, JJ Montgomery has a chance to become the next Division I offensive lineman to come out of Columbus North.
But the junior left tackle wants to make sure he has plenty of time for his studies — time that would be more limited if he plays football at the D-I level.
“I want to play in college, but I don’t know where I want to play,” Montgomery said. “I don’t know if I want to go to a big D-I school because I really want to pursue my academics and be an orthopedic surgeon. I’m looking forward to set up my family and make them realize what hard work can get you.”
Montgomery has put in plenty of that hard work both on the field and in the classroom his first two-plus years of high school.
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“He has his head on his shoulders,” North coach Tim Bless said. “He’s a student first, athlete second, and if he can find a fit where he can serve both of those worlds, he can have a great college career.”
Bless thinks the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Montgomery might need to grow a little to become a big-time recruit.
“He’s only a junior, so he still has time for growth,” Bless said. “Hopefully, we can get him even bigger because he needs to put on more lean body mass to become more and more of an intriguing college prospect and to have the best senior year possible.”
Montgomery broke into the Bull Dog lineup as a sophomore last season, starting the year at right tackle. He moved to left tackle to end the season.
This year, Montgomery has been back at left tackle.
“I’d say he he’s our steadiest presence on the line of scrimmage,” Bless said. “He has a good frame, He has good weight room strength and he’s a high-IQ football player.”
Montgomery said he has enjoyed the challenge of protecting quarterbacks Trenton Kelley (who now is at Morehead State) last season and sophomore Luke Hammons this year.
“It’s an honor to know that the team has this much trust in me to protect the quarterback’s blind side — last year year with TK, a Division I quarterback, great talent, nicest guy you’ll ever meet, and then this year with Luke Hammons, a young pup coming in learning a lot of stuff,” Montgomery said. “I’m looking forward to what he can do next year.”
In the meantime, Montgomery and the rest of the line also are opening holes for the running game, led by junior Blake Huffman.
“It’s absolutely awesome,” Montgomery said. “That kid is always bringing high energy to practice.”
North is 4-4 heading into Friday’s regular-season finale against Terre Haute South.
The Bull Dogs then will have a week off before heading to Franklin Central for the sectional semifinals on Nov. 1. If North wins, it would host Columbus East or visit longtime nemesis Center Grove in the sectional final.
“We’re obviously disappointed in the outcomes of the games, but as a unit, I feel like we’re coming together as a team, and we’re going to rally back and win a couple more games this year,” Montgomery said. “We definitely want to win sectional. It’s going to be tough. We have two great opponents — Franklin Central and whoever wins that East-Center Grove game. Those teams are both really good. We’re going to have some tough games, but I really think we can win sectional this year if we put our minds to it. I think we’re going to be darn good next year, too. I’m looking forward to it.”
