College football has changed forever.
Not just because athletes can now earn money, but because 18, 19 and 20-year-olds are suddenly being asked to make decisions that most adults still struggle to navigate.
That’s why this conversation hit different.
Welcome to the latest episode of Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth, fueled by our founding sponsor 76, keeping you on the GO GO GO so you never miss a beat.
In advance of the Elite 11 Finals, I sat down with Ohio State offensive lineman Luke Montgomery, Georgia quarterback Ryan Montgomery, and Dane Burkholder — a partner at Roseville Wealth, where he and his team manage over 2.1 Billion dollars every year. Dane also coined the phrase and founded the company The Financial Athlete.
Today’s guests unpack the new reality in college football: The Rise of the Financial Athlete, and the way an All-American offensive lineman in Columbus and his quarterback brother in Athens navigate it all.
For those seeking to surround themselves with athletic minds who are succeeding in the Financial Athlete world of college football — look no further than these two, and Dane, for role models.
To be blunt: athletes and parents need to listen to this.
The Montgomery brothers didn’t just talk about contracts or NIL deals — they talked about patience. Discipline. Delayed gratification. Building a trusted circle. Protecting their future. And understanding that money can either become a blessing…or a distraction.
In other words, they used football analogies and applied them to their business life. As they should.
Luke opened up about what it’s really like navigating the NIL era at a powerhouse like Ohio State — and how head coach Ryan Day embraces his responsibility to impact his team off the field when it comes to balancing football, expectations, leadership and real financial accountability at an incredibly young age.
Ryan shared why development mattered more than chasing the biggest payday when he chose Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs, and how keeping the bigger picture in focus has shaped every decision he’s made since arriving in Athens.
What stood out most to me was their perspective.
Throughout our conversation, I kept thinking about what all of us who love sports so often preach — that the skills that allow you to find success on the field will always transition into life.
And that is exactly where Dane Burkholder and his education around being a Financial Athlete meets the moment. Dane’s team and their content continues to impact this generation of athletes, parents and coaches in ways that are helping athletes on countless levels.
As our conversation wound down, I was struck by how consistently Luke and Ryan kept thinking 20, 30, even 40 years ahead.
About setting up their future families.
About investing instead of reacting emotionally.
About understanding that football won’t last forever.
And maybe most importantly, they spoke about the power of environment.
The right coaches. The right teammates. The right family. The right mentors.
Or as my father still tells me: “You are the company you keep.”
This episode will resonate with athletes, parents, recruits and honestly anyone navigating pressure, opportunity and long-term decision-making.
Because the truth is, The Financial Athlete isn’t just a football conversation anymore.
It’s a life conversation.
It’s also Elite 11 Finals week — where every quarterback, parent and mentor will have seen this podcast and will get to be part of our powerful curriculum, Beyond the X’s and O’s, which we’ve been running for nearly 20 years.
The people who taught Luke and Ryan how to navigate life from day one — Mom and Dad — will be special guests in an intimate conversation with Dane and me, going behind the scenes on how they raised their sons to thrive on the field while staying so level-headed off it, as Financial Athletes at two of the most pressure-packed universities in the nation.
I can’t wait for this one — as a college football analyst and as a parent.
Be sure to subscribe to Y-Option: College Football with Yogi Roth to get it right in your inbox, and on YouTube as we continue to grow our community.
Much love and stay steady,
Yogi
