Wil the Thrill: The Untold Story of Wilbert Montgomery

by Edward J. Robinson, Ray Didinger (Foreword by)

Overview

When Wilbert Montgomery earned his Super Bowl XLVII ring as running-backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, he was no stranger to glory. In Philadelphia and elsewhere his legacy still looms large. Montgomery was the halfback whose touchdown on the second play from scrimmage and total 194 yards against a stout Cowboy defense helped spur the Eagles to the 1981 NFC title and Super Bowl XV. But perhaps even more enduring should be the story of how this shy but courageous athlete broke down barriers throughout his life, even before the his time in the NFL. Escaping an oppressive and impoverished environment in his home state of Mississippi in the early 1970s, he became one of the first African Americans to play for what was then Abilene Christian College, after its all-white coaching staff lured him away from the gridiron at historically black Jackson State College. Although leading ACC to a 1973 national title would help catapult Montgomery to a remarkable pro career, no one before has illuminated the complex interplay of race relations, sports, and religion in Montgomery’s heroic accomplishments in West Texas and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780896728479
Publisher:	Texas Tech University Press
Publication date:	10/15/2013
Series:	Sport in the American West
Edition description:	1
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Edward J. Robinson teaches history and Bible at Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas, while serving as the director of the Center for Student Success. He is the author of several other books, including Show Us How You Do It: Marshall Keeble and the Rise of Black Churches of Christ in the Lone Star State.

Table of Contents

Illustrations ix

Foreword xi

Acknowledgments xv

Prologue: "Just Unreal-Barely Human" 3

Part 1 Wilbert Montgomery in the Mississippi Delta, 1954-1972

Chapter 1 Rocks in a Weary Land: The Education of Wilbert Montgomery 15

Chapter 2 The "Montgomery Express": Wilbert and Cleotha Montgomery and the Greenville Hornets 21

Chapter 3 "I Didn't Want to be a Part-Time Player": Wilbert Montgomery's Escape from Mississippi to West Texas 29

Part 2 Wilbert Montgomery and the West Texas Experience, 1973-1976

Chapter 4 "We're Gonna' Surprise Lots of Folks": Wilbert Montgomery, the Abilene Christian Wildcats, and the 1973 Championship Season 41

Chapter 5 Dynamite on "The Hill": Wilbert Montgomery and the Abilene Christian Wildcats in 1974 57

Chapter 6 "He's For Real, When He's Well": Wilbert Montgomery and the Abilene Christian Wildcats in 1975 65

Chapter 7 Broken Bones, Broken Hearts, and Broken Records: Wilbert Montgomery and the Abilene Christian Wildcats in 1976 73

Part 3 Wilbert Montgomery in the National Football League, 1977-1986

Chapter 8 Flying with the Eagles: Wilbert Montgomery in the National Football League 85

Chapter 9 From Player to Mentor: Wilbert Montgomery as a Running Backs Coach in the NFL 99

Epilogue: The Legacy of Wilbert Montgomery 107

Appendix I Wilbert Montgomery's Collegiate Statistics: 1973: 11-1 (Freshman Season) 113

Appendix II Wilbert Montgomery's Collegiate Statistics: 1974: 7-4 (Sophomore Season) 115

Appendix III Wilbert Montgomery's Collegiate Statistics: 1975: 6-3-1 (Junior Season) 117

Appendix IV Wilbert Montgomery's Collegiate Statistics: 1976: 9-2 (Senior Season) 119

Appendix V Wilbert Montgomery's NFL Statistics 121

Notes 123

Bibliography 141

Index 147

Editorial Reviews

Wilbert Montgomery arrived in Philadelphia in 1977, his eyes fixed on his shoe tops, his voice turned down to a Sunday school whisper. He was painfully shy and not at all sure he belonged in an NFL training camp. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the sixth round of the draft, the 154th player chosen overall. . . . Most pro scouts felt he was too brittle to last in the NFL, but the Eagles figured that far down in the draft they had nothing to lose. -Ray Didinger, from the foreword

From the Publisher