Peterson: Even in his absence, David Montgomery is an inspiration to Iowa State's running backs

• Breaking down who gets Iowa State's first rush by a running back
• David Montgomery meant a lot to the guys trying to replace him
• The timetable for naming Iowa State's starting running back
• What Tom Manning is looking for from a running back starter

AMES, Ia. — This much we know about the only starting position that’s still flying around in Iowa State’s football wind:

Regardless who gets Brock Purdy’s first handoff in the Aug. 31 season-opening game against Northern Iowa, he’ll have done his best to pattern himself after the ultra-talented player he’s trying to adequately replace.

If Sheldon Croney — my guess to have the first non-Purdy rush — can at least come close to being the player that Montgomery was on and off the field, then the torch has successfully been passed. Ditto for Kene Nwangwu ... and Johnnie Lang .. and Breece Hall ... and Jirehl Brock ... and anyone else that may have popped up in Tom Manning’s running backs room.

That’s all the coaches can ask, because, honestly, no one will match what Montgomery meant for this program’s near-bottom rise, to where it can land among the best football teams in the school’s history.

“There’s been a lot more of us having to grow up and lead each other more — and not leaning on Dave to do that,” Croney said after practice Monday. “David — oh, man. His leadership and the work he put in day-to-day and the hours when people weren’t watching ...

“He was getting better every day on the things that you could easily overlook.”

Blocking. Solid route-running and pass-catching. Rushing for good yards by punishing out-manned defenders. Off-the-charts ball security.

The guy who realistically could be the Chicago Bears’ starter was all that for an Iowa State team that had consecutive eight-win seasons. And now, in abstentia, he’ll still be a factor in whatever 2019 success this team has.

“I learned a lot,” Johnnie Lang said. “That guy is unbelievable. I liked the way he prepared for games; I’m trying to copy that. The way he ran the ball — you can’t really explain that.

“He watched film all the time. He proves that it prepares you more than you think. I’ve really dialed into that stuff.”

Even Manning, the running backs coach, knows the legacy his guys are following. He knows, despite coaching Indianapolis Colts tight ends during Montgomery’s run toward his second 1,000-yard rushing season in a row.

He still watched the games, whether live or video. He saw highlights. He was offensive coordinator, remember, the season during which Montgomery joined the 1,000-yard club in 2017.

He knows what Montgomery meant — and still means. He proved it when asked what he’s looking for in a starting running back.

“Their agility,” he said. “Ball security is job security, and that’s the most important thing in operating an offense. Agility usually leads to a guy that has good vision, and David would be a really good example of that.”

Montgomery lost just two fumbles during his 624-carry career. One was on a Liberty Bowl dive into the end zone. The other was an Alamo Bowl attempt for additional yards after he’d already made a first down.

Both were second-effort attempts. Both exemplified his will and his determination to do something extra.

“David never took the easy path,” coach Matt Campbell said. “With David, you learned to never take your eyes off him. Just when you thought he was maybe going down, he’d use that uncanny balance he was blessed with to gain more yards.”

Manning wants the same effort.

“David made all the cuts,” he said. “If you have great vision but don’t have the ability to make those cuts and get in and out of breaks — it really doesn’t matter too much.”

The Ghost of David Montgomery — it’s still around the position group room. That’s a good thing.

But which of the five contending for the starting tailback role gets the season’s first rush? Let’s start in reverse:

It won’t be the true freshmen Hall or Brock, although both are highly-respected and capable of playing during their first year out of high school. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of them — likely Hall — starts at some point during the season, but not on Aug. 31.

Lang is emerging. He’s a redshirt sophomore — and the two other guys are seniors, so that likely eliminates him from immediate consideration.

Nwangwu, you wonder? If some sort of sweep play is called, then he’s your guy. He’s as valuable returning kicks, as he is rushing the ball.

Which brings me to Croney. The 5-foot-11, 206-pounder caught nine passes last season, second to Montgomery among the running backs. He was on the field a lot when passing plays to a running back were called. He was an all-right blocker.

Campbell’s history is to go with experience during early-season games. That’s why I now think it’s Croney — after initially thinking it’d be Nwangwu.

He might not be the best rusher among the group, but he’s the best blocker and the proven receiver.

“I’d think we’d like to have a pretty good idea of it probably at the end of the week or the beginning of next week,” Manning said. “They’re very interchangeable. I don’t know if it really comes down to who gets the first handoff.”

If someone’s doing well, then he’s staying in the game. If the Cyclones need a speedster around the end — it’s Nwangwu. The backs are versatile. Manning can mix and match, depending on the game’s flow.

“They’re all pretty well-rounded,” Manning said. “Maybe one guy runs a specific route better than the other guy.”

It’s not the one-player-fits-all-the-plays type of guy they had in David Montgomery.

Randy Peterson is the Iowa State columnist for the Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete. No one covers the Cyclones like the Register. Subscribe today at Des Moines Register.com/Deal to make sure you never miss a moment.

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