Montee Ball Jr. (born December 5, 1990) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

who played in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...

, twice earning consensus

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors. Until November 2015, Ball held

NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

(FBS) records for the most career rushing touchdowns with 77 and the most career total touchdowns with 83. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the

2013 NFL draft The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...

. He was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

in 2025.

Early life

Ball was born in

McPherson, Kansas McPherson ( ) is a city in and the county seat of McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 14,082. The city is named after Union (American Civil War), Union General ...

. His family later moved to

Wentzville, Missouri Wentzville is an exurb of St. Louis that is located in western St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a total population of 47,497, making it the 15th largest city in Missouri. Went ...

, where Ball attended Timberland High School and played

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

for the Timberland Wolves. He was ranked as the number 33 running back in the nation and fourth-best player in Missouri by Rivals.com. He was named first-team all-state, all-metro, all-district and all-conference as a senior. As a senior, Ball carried the ball 213 times for 2,187 yards and 41 touchdowns. As a junior, Ball was named player of the year ( St. Louis American), first-team all-state, all-metro, all-district and all-conference after putting up 358 carries for 3,077 yards and 32 touchdowns, and was recognized in ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' magazine's "Faces in the Crowd" section. As a sophomore, Ball was named first-team all-district and all-conference after carrying the ball 297 times for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns. As a freshman, Ball had 1,113 yards on 127 carries with 19 touchdowns. Ball was a team captain and team MVP as a sophomore, junior and senior. He holds the Wentzville school district rushing records with career totals of 995 carries, 8,222 yards, 107 touchdowns, and an average of 8.26 yards per carry. Ball was also named to the all-academic list three times and was a two-time letterwinner in basketball.

College career

Ball enrolled at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, where he played for the

Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers football program represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the sport of American football. Wisconsin competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Bi ...

team from 2009 to 2012.

2009 season

As a freshman, Ball played in 9 of 13 games and finished second on the team in rushing yards (391), rushing touchdowns (4), and rushing attempts (98).

2010 season

Ball played in 12 games, including starts in the final four games. He began the 2010 season as the backup running back to John Clay, the 2009 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Because Clay had offseason ankle surgery and later an MCL injury, Ball gained a prominent role in the Badgers' offense, along with freshman back James White. Ball led the team in rushing touchdowns, ranked second in rushing attempts and scoring, third in rushing yards and all purpose yards and fourth in total offense. His 18 rushing touchdowns tied for fourth-most in a single season, his 6.11 yards per carry is sixth-best in one season at Wisconsin, and his 108 points tied for sixth-most in one season at Wisconsin. At the end of the season, Ball was named consensus honorable mention All-Big Ten.

2011 season

Ball played and started in all 14 games. In the season opener, he had 63 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, two receptions, 67 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown against

UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. ...

. On October 15, 2011, he was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass and scoring three rushing touchdowns with 142 yards rushing, including a career long 54-yard rush, on 14 carries and 46 yards receiving on one catch against

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. On November 5, 2011, Ball was named Big Ten Player of the Week after rushing for a career-high 223 yards against the

Purdue Boilermakers The Purdue Boilermakers are the official college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. As is common with athletic nicknames, the Boilermakers nickname ...

. During that game, Ball scored four touchdowns (three rushing and one receiving) which gave him 146 total points scored on the season. This broke Brian Calhoun's school record for total points in a single season of 144. On November 12, 2011, Ball broke the single season

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

record for touchdowns by rushing for two and receiving one against the

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. Ball had 27 touchdowns (23 rushing and 4 receiving) at the end of that game. On November 19, 2011, against

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, Ball ran for a career-high 224 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 38 carries. He also added a receiving touchdown and became the fifth player in

NCAA Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

history to score 30 touchdowns in a single season. On November 26, 2011, Ball scored four touchdowns against

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

, and four more in the Big Ten Championship game one week later, giving Ball 38 touchdowns on the season, which was second all-time in FBS. He trails

Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushin ...

, who scored 39 touchdowns in 1988. Ball was one of three finalists for the 2011

Doak Walker Award The Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. Established in 1990, it is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Foot ...

joining

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

LaMichael James LaMichael Keondrae "LaMike" James (born October 22, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footba ...

and

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

's Trent Richardson. The award was given to Alabama's Trent Richardson. Ball was named First-team All-Big Ten, by both the coaches and media, at the conclusion of the 2011 regular season. He was also the winner of two other Big Ten awards, the Graham-George Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award (which was renamed in 2011 after of Northwestern's

Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham Jr. (December 6, 1921 – December 17, 2003) was an American professional American football, football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League ...

and

Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...

Eddie George Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American college American football, football coach and former running back who is the head football coach at Bowling Green Falcons football, Bowling Green State University. He previously ...

) and the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year award, which was also renamed in 2011 after

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

Alan Ameche Alan Ameche (; June 1, 1933 – August 8, 1988), nicknamed "the Iron Horse", or simply "the Horse", was an American professional football player who was a fullback for six seasons with the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League (NFL). ...

and Ron Dayne. On December 5, 2011, Ball was named one of five finalists for the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

. He was joined by Baylor quarterback

Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RGIII or RG3, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, most notably with the Washington Redskins. He ...

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

quarterback

Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football executive and former professional quarterback who is the general manager of the Stanford Cardinal. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons ...

LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

cornerback

Tyrann Mathieu Tyrann Devine Mathieu (; born May 13, 1992) is an American professional football safety for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers. In college he developed a reputation for ca ...

and

running back Trent Richardson. On the same day, Ball was named

by the AFCA, joining teammates Peter Konz and

Kevin Zeitler Kevin Zeitler ( ; born March 8, 1990) is an American professional football guard for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, and earned consensus All-American honors. He w ...

. Ball was also named an All-American by

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

, again joined by teammate Peter Konz. On December 8, 2011, Ball was named First-team All-American by

Yahoo Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from Stats Perform. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. ...

. His teammates Peter Konz and Kevin Zeitler were named to the second-team and quarterback

Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...

and linebacker Chris Borland were named to the third-team. On December 10, 2011, Ball was one of five finalists for the

. He finished fourth in the voting, with 348 points (22-1st place, 83-2nd place and 116-3rd place points). Ball's fourth-place finish was the highest in Wisconsin history for a non-winner of the award, until Wisconsin running back

Melvin Gordon Melvin Gordon III (born April 13, 1993) is an American professional football running back. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Doak Walker Award as the top college running ...

finished second behind

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...

quarterback

Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...

in 2014. He was joined by teammate

, who also received votes. Wilson finished ninth with 52 points. Baylor's

won the award. On January 2, 2012, Ball scored his 39th touchdown of the season, tying him with

for most touchdowns in a single FBS season. He finished the season with 1,923 rushing yards, 33 rushing touchdowns, 24 receptions, 306 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns. On January 5, 2012, Ball announced he would return for his senior year with the Badgers rather than enter the

2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...

2012 season

On October 13, 2012, Ball scored three rushing touchdowns against

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...

, giving Ball a career total of 72 touchdowns. This broke the Big Ten record and the Wisconsin record of 71 held by former Badgers running back Ron Dayne. He also ran for a career-high of 247 yards against the Boilermakers. On November 24, 2012, Ball became the FBS career record holder for total touchdowns when he scored his 79th touchdown on a 17-yard run against

. On December 6, 2012, Ball won the

, given to the nation's top running back. Ball became the second Badger to win the award. Ron Dayne won the award in 1999. He was named as a Consensus All-American. On January 1, 2013, Ball became the first player in Rose Bowl Game history to score a touchdown in three straight years. Overall, he finished the season with 1,830 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns.

College statistics

Records

NCAA single season records * Most touchdowns, season: 39 tied (2011) * Most consecutive games with two or more touchdowns: 13 (2011) * Most points scored by non-kicker: 236 (2011) NCAA career records * Most touchdowns: 83 (2009-2012) Big Ten single season records * Most touchdowns: 39 (2011) Wisconsin single season records * Most touchdowns: 39 (2011) * Most rushing touchdowns: 33 (2011)

Hall of Fame

On June 5, 2023, it was announced that Ball will be inducted into the University of Wisconsin's Athletic Hall of Fame for the class of 2023. On June 5, 2023, Ball was announced as one of 78 FBS players to be selected for the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. If he gets voted in, he will become only the 13th Wisconsin Badger to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Denver Broncos

Ball was chosen in the second round with the 58th overall pick by the

in the

. In his NFL debut, Ball had eight carries for 24 yards in Denver's 49–27 win against the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

. On October 27, 2013, Ball scored his first career touchdown on a 4-yard run against the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

. On December 1, against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

, Ball had his best game of his rookie season, with 13 carries for 117 yards, including a 45-yard run, the longest of his career. He had another rushing touchdown against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

that sealed the game for Denver. Overall, he finished the 2013 season with 559 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Heading into his sophomore season, Ball was set to become the Broncos’ starting running back following the departure of

Knowshon Moreno Knowshon Rockwell Moreno (born July 16, 1987) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Geor ...

, who signed with the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

during the offseason. Despite this, Ball started in only three regular season games in 2014 and suffered a groin injury in Week 5, leading to the emergence of C. J. Anderson. He was placed on injured reserve on December 13, 2014, finishing the 2014 season with 172 yards and one touchdown, which was scored in a Week 1 victory over the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

. Ball entered the 2015 season with the Broncos fighting for a roster spot with fellow running backs C. J. Anderson,

Ronnie Hillman Ronald Keith Ryan Hillman Jr. (September 14, 1991 – December 21, 2022) was an American professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State ...

, and

Juwan Thompson Juwan Thompson (born May 13, 1992) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, all of which were with the Denver Broncos. He played college football for the Duke Bl ...

. After rushing for only 68 yards on 32 carries in the preseason, the Broncos waived Ball on September 6, 2015.

New England Patriots

After being released and failing to find a new team quickly, Ball gained weight. He showed up to a tryout with the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

30 pounds overweight. On December 15, 2015, the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...

signed Ball to their practice squad, where he spent the rest of the season. On February 9, 2016, Ball was released by the Patriots following a

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

arrest.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Ball's parents are Montee Sr. and Melissa Ball. Ball's cousin, Darius Hill, played football at Ball State. Ball enjoys basketball, reading, and video games. Ball is a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. Ball was assaulted in the early morning hours of August 1, 2012, while walking on University Avenue in Madison. The attackers were reported to be three black males unknown to Ball. During the early morning of February 5, 2016, Ball was arrested on a felony battery charge after an apparent dispute with his girlfriend. It was reported that Ball threw her onto a table, causing a cut on her leg, which required stitches. Ball was drunk during the incident. On April 11, 2016, Ball was arrested in

Walworth County, Wisconsin Walworth County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 106,478. Its county seat is Elkhorn, Wisconsin, Elkhorn. The county was created in ...

, for felony bail jumping while drinking alcohol, due to having felony bond conditions in

Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin after Milwaukee County. Dane County is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin. ...

, not to consume alcohol or be in a bar or tavern. Later in 2016, he accepted a plea deal for two cases involving domestic violence accusations and was sentenced to 60 days of

house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...

, 18 months of probation and domestic violence and alcohol counseling. Ball, like his father and grandfather, is a recovering

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

. Ball began showing up drunk to practice as a junior in college and continued the habit in his professional career. During the NFL season, Ball would get drunk on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday nights. His spiraling alcoholism and depression derailed his football career. Ball has a son named Maverick who he credited with helping lift him from alcoholism and irresponsibility. He is now an Outreach Specialist for Wisconsin Voices of Recovery.

References

External links

Wisconsin Badgers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, Montee 1990 births Living people All-American college football players American football running backs Denver Broncos players New England Patriots players People from McPherson, Kansas People from Wentzville, Missouri Sportspeople from St. Charles County, Missouri Players of American football from Missouri Wisconsin Badgers football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees