Larrell Murchison

Larrell Murchison's Biography

Larrell Montale Murchison, more traditionally known as Montale, was born on April 24th, 1997 in the town of Elizabethtown, located in the southeastern part of North Carolina. With a natural talent for sports, and a specific inclination towards football, Montale’s journey to becoming an esteemed defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) began in his hometown. He attended East Bladen High School, the same institution where his twin brother, Farrell, was also enrolled. The brothers played for the school’s football team with Montale serving in the dual role of a defensive line and fullback, while Farrell played halfback. In his senior year, Montale demonstrated his offensive prowess, rushing for 545 yards and scoring five touchdowns. He also made quite an impact on the defense with 83 tackles.

Despite showing promise and committing to Winston-Salem State post high-school, Montale and his brother chose first to enhance their skills and get more exposure at the junior college level. Consequently, they initially enrolled at Louisburg College. Here, his sophomore year was particularly outstanding as he finished the season with 41 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks, earning the title of an honorable mention Junior College All-American.

In terms of advancing his football career, Montale contemplated several offers from prestigious institutes such as the University of Georgia and the University of Texas. The decision was tough, but initially, he opted for the University of Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss. However, he later shifted his commitment and decided to represent North Carolina State, moving closer to his home territory.

In his first season at North Carolina State, Montale was redshirted, a strategy often employed by college sports teams to develop athletes without consuming eligibility. As he came into his stride and honed his skills, Montale established himself as a mainstay in the team as a defensive tackle. His senior year underscored his abilities with a total of 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks. In his final season, his defense dominance continued with an impressive record of 48 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two passes defended, and two fumble recoveries.

Upon the culmination of his college career, Montale made his way to the big leagues. He was selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft 2020. The Tennessee Titans picked him 174th overall. On May 13th, 2020, Murchison inked a four-year deal with his new team, becoming the first among the Titan’s draft picks to sign a rookie contract. He made his NFL debut on September 20th, 2020 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and made his presence felt by successfully executing a tackle.

Health issues however sidelined him temporarily on October 1st, 2021. An elbow injury sustained during the third week’ match led the Titans to place him on injured reserve. But, dedicated to his craft, Montale made a swift recovery and was re-activated by October 23.

Traversing unforeseen circumstances in the 2022 season, Montale was waived by the Titans on August 30th but was immediately signed to the practice squad the following day. After nearly three months on the practice squad, on November 15th, he was recalled to the active roster. But in a turn of events, Murchison was yet again waived on December 10th, 2022.

However, his NFL journey was far from over. The Los Angeles Rams claimed him off waivers just two days later. Montale made a striking debut for the Rams on Christmas day, 2022. The match against the Denver Broncos saw him making the first two sacks of his NFL career, contributing to the Rams’ glorious 51-14 victory.

Unfortunately, in 2024, Murchison was again sidelined due to injuries. He was placed on injured reserve on August 27th but made a robust comeback with his activation on October 5th. Albeit trials and tribulations, Montale’s ardent devotion to the sport never wavers, making him an inspirational figure in NFL.