Max Montoya, a seventh-round pick(168th overall in the 1979 NFL Draft from UCLA), became one of the Cincinnati Bengals' greatest late-round steals. During his 11 seasons with the team, he consistently anchored the right guard position with aggressive physicality and reliable technical skill, contributing to one of the top offensive lines of the 1980s alongside Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz.

Montoya integrated exceptional physical mass with lateral mobility and demonstrated an aggressive finishing ability at the line of scrimmage. Serving as the right guard, he excelled in executing low, powerful drive-blocks that facilitated the creation of significant interior lanes for running backs Pete Johnson and Ickey Woods. In pass protection, his broad frame and substantial hands enabled him to withstand bull-rushes from interior defensive linemen, thereby maintaining a stable pocket for quarterbacks Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason.

Montoya assumed a position in the starting lineup in 1980 and consistently maintained the right guard position thereafter. He was an integral component of both of Cincinnati's AFC Championship teams during the 1980s. In 1981, he started in every game for an offense that propelled the franchise to Super Bowl XVI. Seven years later, he anchored the line for the league's leading rushing offense in 1988, contributing significantly to Cincinnati's AFC West title and their appearance in Super Bowl XXIII.

His personal accolades exemplify his superior performance on the field. Montoya received three Pro Bowl selections as a Bengal in 1986, 1988, and 1989. In his concluding season with Cincinnati in 1989, he also achieved Second-Team All-Pro recognition and recorded a career-high Approximate Value of 13.

Following the 1989 season, Montoya departed Cincinnati under Plan B free agency to join the Los Angeles Raiders. He spent his final five NFL seasons on the West Coast, starting at right guard for four of those campaigns and earning a fourth career Pro Bowl selection in 1993 at age 37 before retiring after the 1994 season.  As a Bengal, Montoya started 144 of his 157 games.