Sam Montgomery Says He Didn’t Always Play With ‘Effort’ at LSU, Bet With Teammate on Draft Order

Sam Montgomery, an NFL prospect and former defensive end at LSU, hasn't helped his stock at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this weekend, but it's not because he ran a slow 40-yard dash. It's because he ran his mouth.

Montgomery told the media that he took plays off while at LSU, a fact that won't go unrecognized by NFL scouts who value a player's motor and drive to succeed almost as much as their talent.

“You know, some weeks when we didn’t have to play the harder teams, there were some times when effort was not needed,” Montgomery said. “But when we had the big boys coming in, the ‘Bamas or the South Carolinas, I grabbed close to those guys and went all out.

Montgomery also said he made bets with teammate Barkevious Mingo on the number of sacks in a game — and season — each would get while they were in college. The duo also made a $5,000 bet on which player will be selected higher in the 2013 NFL Draft.

“Here’s the thing: Hard work, and betting like that, pushes greatness,” Montgomery said. “That’s actually motivating me and Mingo. It’s not about the money, it’s about pushing us, at the combine and the drills in between. That’s what is pushing us to be the best.

Aside from the $5K he's almost certainly going to lose to probable first-rounder Mingo, Montgomery could be costing himself more money — and spots in the draft order — by continuing to talk about his behavior so flippantly. Teams may not even need a Wonderlic test to determine that any prospect willing to disclose that he doesn't always play all-out might not be that smart a player.