Sacramento Bee: Montgomery's audible a simple nay to the Bay

The former Cordova star says there's nothing more to his decision to leave Cal.

By Quwan Spears

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The Bay Area might be a nice place for some people, but it wasn't for James Montgomery. That was why Montgomery, one of the Sacramento area's most recruited athletes while at Cordova High School, decided to leave the Cal football program even though he was projected to be a starter this fall.  "Berkeley is not the most normal place in the world," he said in a phone interview Thursday. "Coming from Sacramento, I just didn't like the surroundings. I pretty much didn't like the Bay Area."  Since his official release from Cal on Monday, rumors circulated that he left because of a dispute with Bears' coach Jeff Tedford over playing time. Montgomery said that was not true.

"Bottom line, I was not comfortable there," he said. "When you go to a place, you know when it's not right for you. And that was the situation. I'm not leaving because I got in to it with coach, or the members of the coaching staff.  "I'm not leaving because I have grade problems. And I'm not leaving because I was kicked out of school. I'm leaving because I was not happy there."  His former coach agreed. "He felt like there would be a better situation for him somewhere else," Tedford said Tuesday. Although he initially verbally committed to Washington, Montgomery signed with Cal to remain close to home. The proximity allowed him to frequently visit his mother, Cynthia Cooper, who had medical problems. With his mother's health improved, Montgomery has no reservations about transferring to any school in the country. Right now, Washington State, Florida and another Southeastern Conference school are in the running for his services, he said.

"It's wide open right now," he said. "But I'm considering schools that are in true college towns."  He said he hopes to make a decision by the end of the spring semester. Under NCAA rules, Montgomery must sit out a season once he enrolls at another college.  As a redshirt freshman last season, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Montgomery backed up senior Justin Forsett. Montgomery played in 13 games, rushed 36 times for 171 yards and scored two touchdowns. He caught four passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. He was listed as Cal's staring tailback heading into spring practice that starts March 31.  Montgomery, a graduate of Cordova in 2006, was a Parade Magazine All-American as a senior and rushed for 4,900 yards and 89 touchdowns during his high school career. He was the most sought-after recruit to come out of Cordova since National Player of the Year Kevin Willhite in 1981.