Montell Clanton was one of the rare junior running backs to lead the NIC-10 in rushing when he gained 1,488 yards in just nine games for a 4-5 Guilford team in 2002. He came back in 2003 to add another 1,318 yards despite playing on a Vikings team that went 2-7 with every defense loaded up to stop him.
Clanton missed out on a second NIC-10 rushing title when Joe Coniglio of Boylan gained 1,569 yards though it took Coniglio three more games. Still, Clanton's 2,806 career rushing yards was a Rockford Public Schools record that stood until 2019.
The massive two seasons earned Clanton a scholarship to Northern Illinois University where he hoped to add his name to a string of great running backs that included future NFL backs LeShon Johnson, Michael Turner and Garrett Wolf.
Instead, his NIU career was a series of frustrating setbacks.
After redshirting in 2004 and sitting behind Wolfe in 2005, he rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown in week three of 2006 only to suffer a season-ending meniscus tear in his knee..
He worked his way back in 2007 to get back into the rushing mix and he ran for 91 yards on 13 carries in week two against Southern Illinois only to suffer a torn ACL.
He went through another year of rehabilitation to get back on the field in 2008. In week three, he rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries and then got 33 yards on three carries in week four only to sit the rest of the season because of an ankle injury that wouldn't heal.
He finished his NIU career with a tantalizing 455 yards on 77 carries - an average of 5.9 per rush - and 29 yards receiving.
Instead of applying for a medical redshirt, Clanton finished his degree in 2008 and went into business. He started out in insurance, moved to Dell as a small business account manager and then into real estate. In 2015, he decided to strike out on his own, starting Champions Real Estate Group in 2015 in Houston, Texas, and then taking over Xtreme Kleen Pressure Washing in 2016.
| No. 70 - Montell Clanton, Guilford | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Level | School | Accomplishments | Points |
| 2002 | High School | Guilford | First Team All-Conference | 2 |
| League Leader (rushing yards) | 1 | |||
| Honorable Mention All-State | 0.5 | |||
| 2003 | High School | Guilford | First Team All-Conference | 2 |
| All-State | 1 | |||
| 2005 | College | Northern Illinois | Letter Winner in NCAA Division 1 | 3.5 |
| Winning Team | 1 | |||
| 2006 | College | Northern Illinois | Letter Winner in NCAA Division 1 | 3.5 |
| Starter | 1 | |||
| Winning Team | 1 | |||
| Bowl Game | 1 | |||
| 2007 | College | Northern Illinois | Player in NCAA Division 1 | 1.75 |
| Starter | 1 | |||
| 2008 | College | Northern Illinois | Letter Winner in NCAA Division 1 | 3.5 |
| Total | 23.75 | |||
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