There is an old adage in sports that says you can’t teach speed.
Well, maybe it’s time to re-visit that, because one Bears player is actively trying to prove it wrong.
Over at 670 The Score, Chris Emma writes about the transformation Bears running back David Montgomery is experiencing as he enters Year 3. You’ll want to read that in full. In the meantime, this excerpt caught my eye,with the bold emphasis being mine:
Since he started working with (speed trainer Chris) Korfist, Montgomery hasn’t run a true timed 40-yard dash. But Korfist estimates that Montgomery is now at a 4.44 mark, a vast improvement from the 4.63 he clocked at the NFL Combine in 2019. Montgomery has added 1.5 miles per hour to his speed since he began with Korfist a year ago.
I’m sitting here dumbfounded trying to think about the type of training that needs to happen to add 1.5 MPH to your running speed. And now I’m trying to figure out what that even looks like on the field. Translating timed speed to game speed is challenging. But if Montgomery has done it, then the rest of the NFC North needs to be put on notice.
Remember, the Iowa State product is coming off his first 1,000-yard season. On top of that, Montgomery steps into 2021 having run through and past everyone on the second half of Chicago’s schedule. After missing some time in the middle of the year, Montgomery ran for 598 yards on 116 carries. Montgomery averaged 5.16 yards per carry, scored 8 total touchdowns down the stretch. Extrapolate those numbers over a full 16 game season and you get this: 309 carries, 1,595 yards, 19 rushing touchdowns to go along with 64 catches, 603 yards, and 3 receiving scores.
So, how can Montgomery do better than this? By being faster than he has ever been before. Watching Montgomery run last year was a treat. An encore performance that displays some newfound speed would be even better.