INDIANAPOLIS -- Former LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery said at the NFL Combine that he went pro to help support his family.
He may also be doing it help pay off his future bets.
Montgomery and fellow LSU end Barkvious Mingo have a $5,000 bet to see who gets taken first in the 2013 NFL Draft. For the Tigers duo, it's just the latest bet, Montgomery said at the combine on Saturday.
"We had three bets going on. We had one for the highest (amount) of sacks for $1,000. I won that," Montgomery said. "We had one for $500 for the most sacks in the last game. I won that. Now we're fighting (to see) who goes highest in the draft.
"That amount of money is pretty big, so I have to come through with this one."
Montgomery, the only player sporting a sleeveless shirt to his "nice slim" 263-pound frame, joined Mingo's media session, which immediately followed his. "What're you doing here?" Mingo asked before Montgomery questioned him as a pass rusher.
When his media session started with a question about the bets the two had, Mingo playfully walked away from the podium.
"Sam and I had plenty of bets on the year," Mingo said. "Our first one was who had the first sack. He was supposed to wash my car because I won. He hasn't done that.
"I'm pretty confident in myself, so he's going to be coming out some money on that one. And I get a car wash."
Whether or not Montgomery actually pays off his bets, he said the bets between he and Mingo pushed them.
"This is the thing. Hard work and bend like that, pushes greatness," Montgomery said. "Therefore, it's a motivator for me and Mingo. It's not about the money, it's about pushing to get the most out of us at this combine and the drills in between. Those are going to push us each other to be the best. We've always been competitive, me and Mingo, and it's always made us better in the end. Putting big stakes up pushes us to be more dominant in the end. So it really helps both of us. Competitive edge.
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