Episode 38 - Nak Montgomery

In this week’s episode of The Mental Matchup, Schuyler and Kat talk with Nakeie (Nak) Montgomery, a two sport athlete at Duke University. Nak grew up in Texas with his mom and sister, playing lacrosse and football. He went on to play lacrosse at Duke, and also joined the football team for his final fall season in college. Despite not playing as much as he wanted to his freshman year, and having his first experience with a mental health struggle, Nak went on to have a very successful collegiate career. By his senior year, he had accumulated 100 points, and was named to the All-ACC team, the USILA All-America first team, and the Inside Lacrosse Media All-America first team. He was also selected as Duke’s Male Senior Student-Athlete of the Year for his success on and off the field. During the episode, we talk about the sacrifices his mom and sister made to support his lacrosse career, his coaches and adopted families that made him into the player and person he is today, how attending a majority-black high school impacted his sense of identity, how he experienced the power of vulnerability during his freshman year, and a lot more about his experiences throughout his life and athletic career.