David Montgomery reveals how sister Kiki’s accident and nephew’s cancer battle surprisingly saved his NFL career

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was drafted 73rd overall by the Chicago Bears in 2019. Now, getting ready for the Lions-Texans game, he shared deeply personal family challenges that shaped him.

He talked about how his sister, Kiki, had a serious car accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down, and how his nephew fought leukemia three years ago. These hardships pushed him to keep going when things felt hopeless.

David Montgomery says sister Kiki’s accident changed his life

David Montgomery spoke about his sister, Kiki. He said the crash that left her unable to walk was a big blow, but it also taught him something powerful. “My entire family looks at me as the one, the voice some of us would say. The moment that I realized it was bigger than me, pain, emotions, the things I can’t control, it don’t matter as much. My sister don’t get to walk. Like, why is it fair for me to quit? … I’m healthy. But my sister would die to have the opportunity to just walk. So, like, it’s so much bigger than me, and I realize that,” he shared.

That moment made him see how lucky he is and why giving up was not an option.

David Montgomery credits nephew Yhzrah for saving his life and inspiring his NFL journey

David Montgomery also talked about his nephew, Yhzrah, who beat cancer. He said, “I got a nephew who just beat cancer,” and thinking of him kept Montgomery going through the hardest times.He shared another moment from a dark time in his life, when he was having thoughts he knew could ruin everything. What saved him was a simple phone call from his nephew.

Also Read: “Women In Sports Is Uncomfortable”: Livvy Dunne Reveals Dating Advice She Follows From Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce For Her Relationship“I went through all of that stuff and one person who saved my life was my nephew. I was in a situation to where I was this close to doing something that I knew I shouldn’t have done, that would have changed the trajectory of my life or changed the trajectory of everybody else around me in my life,” David Montgomery said.He added, “He didn’t say anything about football, he didn’t say anything about how fast I was. He just said, ‘Uncle Dave, I miss you. How are you doing?’” Hearing those words made a huge difference.Montgomery also said he has been working with a therapist for five years now. Counseling helped him understand his emotions, feel better about himself, and know that he matters.