David Montgomery has been everything the Lions hoped he'd be when they signed the veteran running back as a free agent from Chicago in 2023.

His short-area quickness and hard running style are a perfect complement to Jahmyr Gibbs' explosiveness and speed. The two make up the best running back duo in the NFL.

Montgomery sets the tone for what the Lions want to be about offensively. He's already been awarded Good Morning Football's Angry Runs scepter for his efforts running through and around Seattle's defense Week 4. His 15 broken tackles on the year rank in the top 10 among the league's running backs.

One of the best things anyone can say abut a running back is they run the ball hard and it's no fun to tackle them. That's Montgomery. Lions head coach Dan Campbell looks at his running style and is immediately reminded of old school football.

"Man, to me, he's a throwback," Campbell said. "There are throwback principles about him, and I mean that with all due respect. His running style is – it's rare.

"Look, we were watching clips this morning, I think (Texans RB Joe) Mixon at Houston runs really hard in today's football too, he's an aggressive style, but I think David is just different and he's downhill, doesn't give up, first guy, he's not going to let him tackle him, continues to churn his legs, and just violent, violent, never give up, never going down.

"When I watch him, it just reminds me of some of the great ones, man, back in the heyday. I mean, they just – they don't go down. So, freaking Earl Campbell, man, Earl Campbell ran like crazy, Walter Payton ran like crazy and would not go down."

That's pretty elite company for Montgomery but there's no denying his style is similar. He rarely loses yards and it often takes more than one defender to bring him down.

"I think we're fortunate to have him, and I can tell you this, the O-line loves blocking for that guy and anybody that plays with him, I mean, you want to talk about inspiring?" Campbell said. "That inspires you to want to block."

Montgomery has rushed for a touchdown in eight of the 10 games he's played this season. Since joining the Lions in 2023, he's rushed for a touchdown in 19 of 24 games (79.2 percent), tied for the most games with a rushing touchdown in the NFL over that span.

It seems rather appropriate Montgomery is nicknamed Knuckles with Gibbs being Sonic. Montgomery seems to love contact and usually he's the one delivering the blow on first contact. He has a terrific balance of strength, toughness, quickness and sheer determination when he's got the ball in his hands. He's the perfect fit with Gibbs in Detroit's backfield and one of the big reasons why this Detroit run game averages better than 150 yards per game and ranks third in the league.

"He's been an unbelievable addition for us," Campbell said of Montgomery. "I mean, he fits us perfect. I'm so thankful we got him here, that worked out great."