Before May 17, Isaiah Montanez was just another young football player working to become a household name. He was known around Golden Valley High School in Merced, California, but when he stepped outside of his school zone, he was just another kid.
Even at May 17's The Opening Oakland Regional, he originally was viewed as one of the hundreds of athletes who showed up at San Leandro, California's Pacific Sports Complex. No fanfare or pre-combine dramatics followed. He wasn't even a preregistered athlete; Montanez was a walk-up entry to the event—and his last name was accidentally misspelled "Martanez.