“Key & Peele” Star Sparks Buzz After Pittsburgh Steelers Signing Montana Lemonious-Craig compared to “Key & Peele Icon” (Photo Via Imagn Images and X/@_MLFootball)
If you scrolled through social media Tuesday afternoon, chances are you stumbled across a name that stopped you in your tracks: Montana Lemonious-Craig.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced the signing of the wide receiver earlier in the day, and before fans could process what kind of depth he might bring to the roster, the jokes were flying.

The name, undeniably memorable, triggered instant flashbacks to Key & Peele’s iconic “East-West Bowl” skit, where fictional football players introduced themselves with names that got increasingly ridiculous. Except this time, it wasn’t a sketch. Lemonious-Craig is very real, and he’s out to prove he’s more than just a punchline.

Social Media Can’t Let The Name Go

Wide Receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig (Photo By Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Fans couldn’t help themselves. Users on Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram lit up the platforms with reactions that felt straight out of a comedy set.

One user posted, “This can’t be real.”

While another added, “Unexpected draft pick.”

Someone else joked, “That’s fkin crazy AHAHAHAHAHAH lmaoo,” echoing the sentiment of many who found the moment too good to be true.

Still, there was sympathy in the mix. One fan commented, “This poor guy lol. He’s probably really cool and people just clowning him over his name.” And they’re not wrong, behind the viral moment is a wide receiver who’s put in the work.

Lemonious-Craig, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 194 pounds, spent three seasons at Colorado before transferring to Arizona. Across 47 college games, he totaled 79 receptions for 965 yards and nine touchdowns. At Colorado, he caught 34 passes for 497 yards and five scores. In his final two years at Arizona, he added another 45 receptions for 468 yards and four touchdowns.

A native of Inglewood, California, he saw his high school team go from 0-10 his junior year to 12-1 as a senior. That kind of turnaround doesn’t happen without serious commitment — something Lemonious-Craig clearly brings to the table.

The Steelers added him to their 90-man offseason roster ahead of OTAs, likely aiming to address their thin wide receiver group. Whether he stays through the summer and earns a roster spot remains uncertain, but he’s clearly not just there for laughs.

He may share a name that fits the Key & Peele universe, but Montana Lemonious-Craig has every intention of making sure fans remember it for something more.