Johnson Helped Montez Make Big Fourth-Quarter Strides

BOULDER — Since the day his first collegiate pass went 69 yards for a touchdown, there has never been a question about Steven Montez's elite-level arm.

But as his career progressed, the Colorado quarterback also steadily developed the finer points of the position, improving his footwork, his ability to read defenses and his understanding of the nuances of the game.

That development took a big step in his final year in Boulder under the tutelage of Buffs offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson, who helped Montez fine-tune the skills he will need to play at the next level.

"What you saw with Steven was steady progress," Johnson said. "We worked on a lot of things and he devoted…