Joe Montana
No. 16, 19 | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | New Eagle, Pennsylvania, U.S. | June 11, 1956||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Ringgold (Carroll, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||||||
College: | Notre Dame (1974–1978) | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1979 / Round: 3 / Pick: 82 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||||||
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former
In
Among his career highlights, "
The 49ers retired Montana's No. 16 jersey number after the conclusion of his playing career. In 1994, Montana earned a spot on the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team; he is also a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. In 1999, editors at The Sporting News ranked Montana third on their list of Football's 100 Greatest Players. Also in 1999, ESPN named Montana the 25th greatest athlete of the 20th century. In 2006, Sports Illustrated rated him the number-one clutch quarterback of all time.[12]
Early life
Montana was born in New Eagle, Pennsylvania,[13] a borough of Washington County located in the western portion of the state. He grew up in the city of Monongahela, a coal mining town 25 miles (40 km) south of Pittsburgh.[14]
Montana's family were Italian-American, the name Montana being an
Montana expressed an early interest in sports, and his father first taught him the game of football. Montana started to play youth football when he was just eight years old, aided in part by his father. Montana Sr. listed his son as a nine-year-old so that Montana could meet the league's minimum age requirement.[16]
During his formative years, Montana took an interest in baseball and basketball, in addition to football, with basketball being his favorite sport.[17] Montana Sr. started a local basketball team that his son played on. The team practiced and played at the local armory and played their games in various regional tournaments.
Montana received his
Montana spent his first two years on the high school football team as a backup. As a
One of Montana's most notable performances during his high school years was during his junior year in a game against
Notre Dame eventually offered Montana a scholarship, and he accepted it. One contributing factor in Montana's choice of colleges was that Terry Hanratty, his boyhood idol, attended Notre Dame.[7] In 2006, 32 years after Montana graduated, Ringgold High School renamed their football stadium "Joe Montana Stadium".[18]
College career
1974
When Montana arrived at Notre Dame in the fall of 1974, the football program was coached by
On December 15, 1974, Parseghian resigned due to health problems.[17] The university hired Dan Devine to replace Parseghian. Despite his limited playing time the previous year, Montana performed well during the 1975 spring practice. Devine was so impressed that he later told his wife: "I'm gonna start Joe Montana in the final spring game." When she replied, "Who's Joe Montana?", Devine said: "He's the guy who's going to feed our family for the next few years."[17]
1975
Devine did not feel Montana was ready to be the full-time starter in 1975;[17] however, Montana played a key role in Notre Dame's victory over North Carolina.[17] During the game, played in Chapel Hill, Montana came in with 5:11 left to play. At the time, North Carolina led by a score of 14–6. Montana spent one minute and two seconds of game time on the field. In that time, he had 129 passing yards and Notre Dame won the game, 21–14.[17]
Against Air Force, Notre Dame's next opponent, Montana again entered the game in the fourth quarter. Although Air Force led 30–10, Notre Dame won the game, 31–30.[17] After the win against North Carolina, Devine said that Moose Krause, the Notre Dame athletic director, said that the game was the "greatest comeback I've ever seen".[17] After the game against Air Force, Krause was quoted as saying: "This one's better than last week."[17] In those two games, Montana demonstrated his ability to perform well in high-pressure circumstances. That characteristic would prove valuable, and Montana relied on it throughout his football career.[17]
1976
Before the start of the 1976 season, Montana separated his shoulder[17] and was unable to compete that year. He applied for and was granted a medical redshirt waiver, earning him one more year of eligibility than other members of his scholarship class.
1977
When the
Devine re-inserted Lisch into the game before Montana finally had the opportunity to play. Montana entered with approximately 11 minutes remaining and Purdue leading 24–14; he threw for 154 yards and one touchdown, and Notre Dame won the game, 31–24.[17]
After the game, Devine made Montana the first quarterback on the depth chart[7] and the team won their remaining nine games. In their final game of the season, Notre Dame defeated top-ranked Texas by a score of 38–10 in the Cotton Bowl.[20] Notre Dame's record of eleven wins and one loss earned them the AP/Coaches national title, the only title the school won while Devine was head coach.
1978
As a fifth-year senior in
On January 1, 1979, Notre Dame returned to the
Graduation and the NFL Draft
Montana graduated from Notre Dame with a
Despite his performance on the field, Montana was not rated highly by most scouts. At one combine, Montana rated out as six-and-a-half overall with a six in arm strength, used to judge how hard and how far a prospect could throw the ball. By comparison, Jack Thompson of Washington State rated an eight, the highest grade among eligible quarterbacks.[17]
In the 1979 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Montana at the end of the third round with the 82nd overall pick.[26] Montana was the fourth quarterback taken, behind Thompson, Phil Simms, and Steve Fuller, all selected in the first round.
College statistics
Notre Dame Fighting Irish | |||||||||||||
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Season | GP | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
1975 | 7 | 28 | 66 | 42.4 | 507 | 7.7 | 4 | 8 | 101.4 | 7 | −5 | −0.7 | 2 |
1976 | did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||
1977 | 9 | 99 | 189 | 52.4 | 1,604 | 8.5 | 11 | 8 | 134.4 | 9 | 32 | 3.6 | 6 |
1978 | 11 | 141 | 260 | 54.2 | 2,010 | 7.7 | 10 | 9 | 124.9 | 72 | 109 | 1.4 | 6 |
Career | 27 | 267 | 515 | 52.0 | 4,123 | 52.0 | 25 | 25 | 125.4 | 88 | 131 | 1.5 | 14 |
Professional career
San Francisco 49ers
1979–1980
Although Montana appeared in all 16 regular season games during the 1979 season, he only threw 23 passes.[27] He spent most of the season as the backup on the San Francisco depth chart behind starter Steve DeBerg. Montana became the starting quarterback midway through the 1980 season.[28]
On December 7, 1980, San Francisco hosted the winless
Though San Francisco finished 1980 with a record of 6–10, Montana passed for 1,795 yards and 15 touchdown passes against nine interceptions. He also completed 64.5 percent of his passes, which led the league.
1981–1983
Montana began the 1981 season as San Francisco's starting quarterback. The season ended up as one of the franchise's most successful to that point. Backed in part by Montana's strong performance, the team finished the regular season with a 13–3 record. Montana helped San Francisco win two of those games with fourth-quarter comebacks. The season was a precursor to one of Montana's most memorable moments as a professional.[30]
On January 10, 1982, San Francisco faced the Dallas Cowboys as three-point home underdogs at Candlestick Park in the NFC Championship Game. The final quarter was marked by one of the most notable plays in NFL history. Larry Schwartz of ESPN.com later defined the 1981 NFC Championship as Montana's signature game.[16]
When San Francisco took possession with 4:54 left in regulation play, Dallas led 27–21; the drive began on San Francisco's 11-yard line. Behind six successful Montana completions and four running plays, San Francisco moved the ball to the Dallas 13-yard line. After one unsuccessful pass and then a seven-yard gain, San Francisco faced third down from the Dallas 6-yard line. Montana took the snap and ran to his right. He then made an off-balance pass toward the back of the end zone, and San Francisco wide receiver
San Francisco faced the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. Montana completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards with one touchdown passing and one rushing touchdown. San Francisco won the game 26–21, and in recognition of his performance, Montana won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, which he accomplished two more times before he retired. The Super Bowl win also made Montana one of only two quarterbacks – along with his idol Joe Namath – to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl. Montana, at 25 years, 227 days, was one day older than Namath was at the time of his first Super Bowl, making him the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl up to that time.
Montana had a prolific season in
In
The victory placed the 49ers in the NFC Championship game against the Washington Redskins. As he had done before, Montana asserted himself late in the game. The Redskins led 21–0 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Montana helped lead the 49ers back. Aided by three fourth-quarter Montana touchdown passes, the 49ers tied the game at 21. However, Redskins placekicker Mark Moseley kicked a 25-yard field goal in the waning moments of the game. Despite Montana's efforts, the team lost, 24–21.
1984
Though the Miami Dolphins finished the 1972 NFL season with no losses, the regular season at the time comprised only 14 games. Thus, when the 49ers finished the 1984 NFL season with a 15–1 record, they became the first team to win 15 games in a single regular season.[33]
Montana again had an excellent season and earned his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl. In their first two
In the game, Montana threw for three touchdowns and completed 24 of 35 passes. He established the Super Bowl record for most yards passing in a single game (331) and supplemented his passing with 59 yards rushing. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 38–16 and Montana earned his second Super Bowl MVP award. After the game, 49ers head coach Bill Walsh said: "Joe Montana is the greatest quarterback today, maybe the greatest quarterback of all time."[28]
1985–1987
Aided in part by Montana's performance at quarterback, the 49ers advanced to the NFL Playoffs again in 1985; however, they lost in the NFC Wild card game to the New York Giants.
In the 1986 season, Montana suffered a severe back injury during week one of the season. The injury was to a spinal disc in Montana's lower back and required immediate surgery. The injury was so severe that Montana's doctors suggested that Montana retire.[34][35] On September 15, 1986, the 49ers placed Montana on the injured reserve list; however, he returned to the team on November 6 of that year.[36] In his first game back from injury Montana passed for 270 yards and three touchdown passes in a 43–17 49ers victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. Montana appeared in just eight games that season, and threw more interceptions than touchdown passes for the only time in his career.[36] The 49ers finished the season with a record of 10–5–1. Montana was co-recipient (with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer) of the 1986 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
In
Prior to the 1987 season, Bill Walsh completed a trade for Steve Young, then a quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[39] Young went on to appear in eight regular season games for the team and finished the year with a passer rating of 120.8.[40]
1988
Young's performance in 1987 was strong enough that by the time the 1988 season began, a controversy was in place as to who should get more playing time as quarterback. Young appeared in 11 games that year and rumors surfaced claiming that Montana might be traded.[citation needed]
Despite the competition for playing time, Montana received most of the playing time during the 1988 season. After a home loss to the Los Angeles Raiders that left the 49ers with a 6–5 record, the 49ers were in danger of missing the playoffs. Montana regained the starting position and led the 49ers to a 10–6 record and the NFC West division title.[41]
The 49ers earned a trip to Super Bowl XXIII when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears in the playoffs. In the NFC Divisional Playoffs, the 49ers faced Minnesota, who had eliminated them from the playoffs the year before. Montana threw three first-half touchdowns as the 49ers won, 34–9. The victory over the Bears in the NFC Championship game is of particular note. Played at Soldier Field in Chicago, with temperatures of 17 °F (-8 °C)[42] and a strong wind, Montana threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns. His first touchdown pass came on a 3rd-down play late in the first quarter in which Montana threw a perfect sideline pass to Jerry Rice and Rice outran two Bears defenders for a 61-yard score. The 49ers won 28–3 to advance to Super Bowl XXIII.[41]
In January 1989, the 49ers again faced
1989
1989 proved to be successful for Montana and the 49ers. The team finished the regular season with an NFL-best 14–2 record,[44] and their two losses were by a total of only five points. Montana threw for 3,521 yards and 26 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions, giving him what was then the highest single-season passer rating in NFL history, a mark subsequently broken by Young in 1994, and later broken again by Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts in 2004 and Aaron Rodgers in 2011 with the Packers. He also rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and earned the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. In a memorable comeback win in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Montana threw four touchdown passes in the 4th quarter. He finished with 428 yards passing and five touchdown passes in the victory. The 49ers were successful in the playoffs, easily beating the Minnesota Vikings 41–13 in the divisional round and the Los Angeles Rams 30–3 in the NFC Championship game. Montana threw for a total of 503 yards and 6 touchdowns in those 2 games without a single interception. Then in Super Bowl XXIV, Montana became the first player ever to win Super Bowl MVP honors for a third time, throwing for 297 yards and a then-Super Bowl record five touchdowns while also rushing for 15 yards as the 49ers defeated the Denver Broncos 55–10, the highest single-team and most lopsided score in Super Bowl history.[45] His postseason passer rating of 146.4 was at the time the highest ever in a single postseason. This record was later broken by Josh Allen during his 2021-2022 season with the Bills.[46]
1990
In 1990, Montana once again led the 49ers to the best regular season record (14–2) in the NFL.[47] He was named by Sports Illustrated as Sportsman of the Year. A highlight from the season was a rematch with the Atlanta Falcons. Intent on blitzing Montana most of the game, Atlanta's defense allowed Montana to throw for a career-best 476 yards (49ers single-game record) and six touchdown passes, five of them to Jerry Rice. He would end up throwing for 3,944 yards and 26 touchdowns, albeit while also throwing a career-high 16 interceptions.[48] Three of those interceptions came in a November 25 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams, which ended the 49ers' 18-game winning streak (dating back to a home loss to the Green Bay Packers in November 1989).[49]
The 49ers run game struggled in 1990: the team averaged 3.8 yards a carry, only good enough for 19th in the league.[50] No 49er exceeded 500 yards rushing for the entire year. Fullback Tom Rathman scored the most touchdowns (7) on the ground while gaining 318 yards. Roger Craig (439 yards, 1 TD) was slowed by a knee injury suffered in week 5 against the Houston Oilers. Rookie running back Dexter Carter (460 yards, 1 TD) did not help much. Carter's only touchdown came on December 17 at the Rams; his 74-yard touchdown run that clinched home-field advantage for the 49ers constituted roughly one-sixth of his productivity in terms of yardage on the ground, and he lost four fumbles at home the following Sunday in a 13–10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.[51][52][53][54]
The 49ers looked forward to becoming the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, and they moved through the playoffs to the
1991–1992
Montana missed the entire
Quarterback controversy and departure
With Montana healthy and ready to play, a quarterback controversy soon emerged. Steve Young had proven his effectiveness in the two years he played while Montana was injured, and many fans and players alike felt that they had made the transition to Steve Young. Furthermore, Young did not want to play if he was used only as a backup.[57] Nevertheless, there was also a strong sentiment that Montana was the "face of the franchise" and it would be right for him to remain so. A rift in the locker room developed, and Montana ultimately requested a trade.[58] Young eventually led the team to another Super Bowl victory, which helped him emerge from Montana's shadow.[59]
Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1994)
Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs on April 20, 1993, and signed a $10 million contract over three years. His trade was the catalyst for the subsequent Chiefs' free-agent signing of star Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen on June 9.[60] The arrival of Montana and Allen, both former Super Bowl MVPs, generated much media attention and excitement in Kansas City.[61] Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson had spent the 1993 off-season bringing in players to run a West Coast offense under the direction of new offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who at one time served as 49ers quarterbacks coach to Montana, and who would report to incumbent head coach Marty Schottenheimer.[62]
The Chiefs mailed three jerseys to Montana. One was number 3, his number from Notre Dame, which the Chiefs had retired in honor of Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud, who offered to let him wear it. Another was number 19, which he wore in youth football and also briefly in training camp of the 1979 season with San Francisco, and the third was number 16, which Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson offered to let Montana wear since the organization had retired it. Montana declined Dawson's and Stenerud's offers and wore 19 instead. During the Chiefs' first offseason practice, the defensive players all remained behind after their session concluded to watch the offensive team practice "because they wanted to see Joe Montana play. That's what those guys thought of the trade. It gave everybody hope we could win a championship. That's why it was such a special time."[60]
Montana was injured for part of the
Montana returned healthy to the Chiefs in
Montana has fondly remembered the Chiefs' home of Arrowhead Stadium with its "unbelievable roar" from field level, saying, "The thing about Kansas City, it doesn't matter whether they're winning or losing, that fan base is ridiculous. Over the years, I don't think that stadium's ever been empty. Those people there support that team and that organization like none you've seen. And it is so loud. Even after 50 years, they're still in there screaming every week. That fan base is probably one of the best in the NFL, one of the hardest places to play for sure". Head coach Marty Schottenheimer pulled Montana aside before his first game at Arrowhead and telling him to prepare for a volume he'd never experienced. Montana recalled, 'Come on, Marty, I've played in four Super Bowls. I've played all over the place,' " he said. "And Marty said, 'Just wait.' " "The thing that gets you is the whole stadium, when they sing the national anthem, is when they say, 'And the home of the … Chiefs!' Still makes your hair stand up on your arms."[64]
Retirement
On April 18, 1995, Montana announced his retirement at
NFL records and accomplishments
Noted for his ability to remain calm under pressure, Montana helped his teams to 32 fourth-quarter come-from-behind victories. With 58 seconds left in the
During his career with the 49ers, Montana completed 2,929 of 4,600 passes for 35,142 yards with 244 touchdowns and 123 interceptions. He had thirty-five 300-yard passing games including seven in which he threw for over 400 yards. His career totals: 3,409 completions on 5,391 attempts, 273 touchdowns, 139 interceptions, and 40,551 yards passing. He also rushed for 1,676 yards and 20 touchdowns. When Montana retired, his career passer rating was 92.3, second only to his 49er successor Steve Young (96.8). He has since been surpassed by five other players, which ranks his passer rating at 7th all-time. Montana also had won 100 games faster than any other quarterback until surpassed by
Montana is second in postseason records for most games with a passer rating over 100.0 (12), career postseason touchdown passes (45), passing yards (5,772), and games with 300+ passing yards (six, tied with
He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times and selected All-Pro six times.[48] He is also the only player to have two touchdown passes of 95+ yards.[68]
Montana was listed at #4 on the NFL Network's The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players (the highest ranking quarterback on the list), with teammate Jerry Rice at #1.[69]
NFL records
- Most pass attempts without throwing an interception in a Super Bowl: 122[70]
- Most wins in a Super Bowl without a loss: 4 (tied with Terry Bradshaw)
- Passing touchdowns in a single postseason: 11 (1989) (tied)
NFL career statistics
Legend | |
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AP NFL MVP
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Super Bowl MVP | |
Won the Super Bowl | |
NFL record | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
1979 | SF | 16 | 1 | 0−1 | 13 | 23 | 56.5 | 96 | 4.2 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 81.1 | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 13 | 0 |
1980 | SF | 15 | 7 | 2−5 | 176 | 273 | 64.5 | 1,795 | 6.6 | 15 | 9 | 71T | 87.8 | 32 | 77 | 2.4 | 11 | 2 |
1981 | SF | 16 | 16 | 13−3 | 311 | 488 | 63.7 | 3,565 | 7.3 | 19 | 12 | 78T | 88.4 | 25 | 95 | 3.8 | 20 | 2 |
1982 | SF | 9 | 9 | 3−6 | 213 | 346 | 61.6 | 2,613 | 7.6 | 17 | 11 | 55 | 88.0 | 30 | 118 | 3.9 | 21 | 1 |
1983 | SF | 16 | 16 | 10−6 | 332 | 515 | 64.5 | 3,910 | 7.6 | 26 | 12 | 77T | 94.6 | 61 | 284 | 4.7 | 18 | 2 |
1984 | SF | 16 | 15 | 14−1 | 279 | 432 | 64.6 | 3,630 | 8.4 | 28 | 10 | 80T | 102.9 | 32 | 118 | 3.0 | 15 | 2 |
1985 | SF | 15 | 15 | 9−6 | 303 | 494 | 61.3 | 3,653 | 7.4 | 27 | 13 | 73 | 91.3 | 42 | 153 | 3.6 | 16 | 3 |
1986 | SF | 8 | 8 | 6−2 | 191 | 307 | 62.2 | 2,236 | 7.3 | 8 | 9 | 48 | 80.7 | 17 | 38 | 2.2 | 17 | 0 |
1987 | SF | 13 | 11 | 10−1 | 266 | 398 | 66.8 | 3,054 | 7.7 | 31 | 13 | 57T | 102.1 | 35 | 141 | 4.0 | 20 | 1 |
1988 | SF | 14 | 13 | 8−5 | 238 | 397 | 59.9 | 2,981 | 7.5 | 18 | 10 | 96T | 87.9 | 38 | 132 | 3.5 | 15 | 3 |
1989 | SF | 13 | 13 | 11−2 | 271 | 386 | 70.2 | 3,521 | 9.1 | 26 | 8 | 95T | 112.4 | 49 | 227 | 4.6 | 19 | 3 |
1990 | SF | 15 | 15 | 14−1 | 321 | 520 | 61.7 | 3,944 | 7.6 | 26 | 16 | 78T | 89.0 | 40 | 162 | 4.1 | 20 | 1 |
1991 | SF | did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||||
1992 | SF | 1 | 0 | — | 15 | 21 | 71.4 | 126 | 6.0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 118.4 | 3 | 28 | 9.1 | 16 | 0 |
1993 | KC | 11 | 11 | 8−3 | 181 | 298 | 60.7 | 2,144 | 7.2 | 13 | 7 | 50T | 87.4 | 25 | 64 | 2.6 | 17 | 0 |
1994 | KC | 14 | 14 | 9−5 | 299 | 493 | 60.6 | 3,283 | 6.7 | 16 | 9 | 57T | 83.6 | 18 | 17 | 0.9 | 13 | 0 |
Career | 192 | 164 | 117−47 | 3,409 | 5,391 | 63.2 | 40,551 | 7.5 | 273 | 139 | 96T | 92.3 | 457 | 1,676 | 3.7 | 21 | 20 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
1981 | SF | 3 | 3 | 3−0 | 56 | 88 | 63.6 | 747 | 8.5 | 6 | 4 | 58 | 94.3 | 12 | 4 | 0.3 | 7 | 1 |
1983 | SF | 2 | 2 | 1−1 | 45 | 79 | 57.0 | 548 | 6.9 | 4 | 2 | 76 | 84.8 | 8 | 56 | 7.0 | 18 | 0 |
1984 | SF | 3 | 3 | 3−0 | 67 | 108 | 62.0 | 873 | 8.1 | 7 | 5 | 40 | 89.8 | 13 | 144 | 11.1 | 53 | 1 |
1985 | SF | 1 | 1 | 0−1 | 26 | 47 | 55.3 | 296 | 6.3 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 65.6 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
1986 | SF | 1 | 1 | 0−1 | 8 | 15 | 53.3 | 98 | 6.5 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 34.2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
1987 | SF | 1 | 1 | 0−1 | 12 | 26 | 46.2 | 109 | 4.2 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 42.0 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 14 | 0 |
1988 | SF | 3 | 3 | 3−0 | 56 | 90 | 62.2 | 823 | 9.1 | 8 | 1 | 61 | 117.0 | 10 | 43 | 4.3 | 11 | 0 |
1989 | SF | 3 | 3 | 3−0 | 65 | 83 | 78.3 | 800 | 9.6 | 11 | 0 | 72 | 146.4 | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 10 | 0 |
1990 | SF | 2 | 2 | 1−1 | 40 | 57 | 70.2 | 464 | 8.1 | 3 | 1 | 61 | 104.7 | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 6 | 0 |
1993 | KC | 3 | 3 | 2−1 | 59 | 104 | 56.7 | 700 | 6.7 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 78.2 | 6 | 13 | 2.2 | 7 | 0 |
1994 | KC | 1 | 1 | 0−1 | 26 | 37 | 70.3 | 314 | 8.5 | 2 | 1 | 57 | 102.8 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 7 | 0 |
Career | 23 | 23 | 16−7 | 460 | 734 | 62.7 | 5,772 | 7.9 | 45 | 21 | 76 | 95.6 | 63 | 314 | 5.0 | 53 | 2 |
Nicknames
Montana earned the nickname "Joe Cool" for his ability to stay calm at key moments, and "Comeback Kid" for his history of rallying his teams from late-game deficits.[71] His teammates in San Francisco called him "Bird Legs"[72][73] due to his very thin legs and small calves. He was called "Golden Joe" because he played in California (the Golden State), and also appeared on a poster superimposed in front of the Golden Gate Bridge with the words "The Golden Great".[74] Two more names were provided by a San Francisco Chronicle nickname contest early in his NFL career: the winner was "Big Sky", but another contestant suggested that since "Joe Montana" already sounded like a nickname, Montana needed a real name, and christened him "David W. Gibson".[75] Montana liked the Gibson name so much that he had it stenciled above his locker.[76]
Montana appears as the character "Joe Clifford" (pseudonym derived from his first and middle names) in the
Personal life
Montana has been married three times. In 1974, he wed his hometown sweetheart Kim Moses during his second semester at Notre Dame and they divorced three years later.[17] In 1981, he married Cass Castillo; they divorced in 1984.[78] He met Jennifer Wallace, an actress and model, while the two worked on a Schick commercial and the couple married in 1985. They have four children, two daughters and two sons. His son Nate was an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia Wesleyan. Another son, Nick, played at Tulane University.
In 2008, Montana sued his first wife and a Dallas auction house for "violating his 'copyright and privacy rights'" after she "sold a bunch of letters and memorabilia from [Montana's] college days at Notre Dame".[79]
Montana resides in San Francisco.[80] He owns horses and produces wine under the label Montagia.[81]
Montana frequently works with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[82]
See also
- Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
- History of Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
- List of quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins
- List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
References
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- ^ "Joe Montana – Pro Football Hall of Fame". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 22, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
- ^ Schwartz, Larry. "Awards". San Francisco Forty Niners. Archived from the original on August 17, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
- ^ "Super Bowl XXIV MVP: Joe Montana". NFL.com. January 29, 1990. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
- ^ Litsky, Frank (December 21, 1989). "PRO FOOTBALL; Taylor Is in Pro Bowl and Into History". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
- ^ "Top 10 Clutch Quarterbacks of All Time". Sports Illustrated. August 3, 2006. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ISBN 9780823936076. Archivedfrom the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "The Best Ever? The story of 'Joe Cool'". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
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External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · ESPN · Pro Football Reference
- Joe Montana at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Joe Montana at IMDb