Mizzou receiver shows new kind of dedication by sleeping in locker room during fall camp
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
To be a contender in this day-and-age of college football, it takes an uncommon kind of dedication.
In fact, that's the exact terminology Georgia football coach Kirby Smart uses when describing his highly-successful Bulldog teams: uncommon.
Competing at the highest level, with a goal of someday making it to places you've never been before, requires commitment, discipline and - in most cases - sacrifice. That's a mentality that Mizzou football has embraced over the years...but especially in the 2026 edition of fall camp.
Wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery, a transfer from Florida, did something veterans on the Mizzou roster hadn't seen done in Columbia before: sleeping the locker room during fall camp.
"Man, that's something new to me, man," running back Jamal Roberts said. "I never really seen guys sleep in the locker room."
Montgomery was the one who started it, but it didn't end with him. In fact, once he started sleeping in the locker room after hard day's work at fall camp, he gained a following as a bevy of Tigers followed suit.
"We're here from 6:30 in the morning to 9 p.m., so, I mean, I get it, but personally, I love my bed, so I'm gonna go," safety Santana Banner joked.
"It's like a lot of, you know, mattresses and covers and stuff are just around during fall camp. So, obviously, during fall camp, it was just a lot of things to, you know, make sure they're comfortable in the locker room," Roberts said.
Montgomery and company's choice to sleep in Mizzou's South End Zone facility shows more than just how tired they were after practice. It shows the amount of dedication they have to honing their craft and making this 2026 Tiger team the best it can possibly be.
"No distractions," Banner said. "You know, this is this is our job. So, for them to say, 'okay, I'm gonna spend time here so I can get up early to continue to do my routine,' whether that's going to treatment early, getting a cold tub, hot tub, red light, which is what he does. So, that says a lot about him."
But, don't be mistaken. Montgomery has brought a lot more to Columbia than just his sleeping habits. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz pointed to him as one of the guys who had the best fall camp, development-wise, as he's primed for a big season.
"He has great hands and he's a guy, he has speed to him. So, you know, that's a dangerous combo at receiver," Banner said.
Mizzou will kickoff the season on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
