Joe Montana
Joe Montana: Four-time Super Bowl champion with the 49ers, Hall of Fame quarterback, and master of the comeback.
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", Montana is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. After winning a national championship with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Montana began his NFL career in 1979 at San Francisco, where he played for the next 14 seasons. With the 49ers, Montana started and won four Super Bowls and was the first player to be named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. In 1993, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played for his last two seasons and led the franchise to its first AFC Championship Game. Montana was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
- Role
- Quarterback (San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs)
- Affiliation
- Never affiliated with Cincinnati Bengals
- Super Bowls Won
- 4 (with San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs)
- MVP Awards
- 3
- Status
- Hall of Famer (Class of 2000)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Montana was born in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Monongahela, a coal mining town south of Pittsburgh. His family were Italian-American, the name Montana being an Americanized form of the surname Montani. He attended Ringgold High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball, and was named an all-state player in basketball. Montana accepted a scholarship to Notre Dame, where he played college football. In 1975, during a game against Air Force, Montana entered in the fourth quarter with Air Force leading 30–10; Notre Dame won 31–30. In 1977, after starting the season as third-string quarterback, Montana led Notre Dame to a national championship. In the NFL, Montana's career highlights include "the Catch" (the game-winning touchdown pass to Dwight Clark vs. Dallas in the 1981 NFC Championship Game) and a Super Bowl-winning 92-yard drive against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII.
In Their Own Story
The 1981 NFC Championship Game against Dallas featured one of NFL history's most celebrated plays: 'the Catch.' Montana threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Dwight Clark, propelling the 49ers toward their first Super Bowl title. That same year, he led a 92-yard drive against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII to secure another championship, a moment that became a staple of highlight films. In the 1977 season at Notre Dame, after starting quarterback Gary Forystek suffered a broken vertebra and clavicle, Montana entered with 11 minutes remaining against Purdue, trailing 24–14. He threw for 154 yards and a touchdown to win 31–24, earning the top spot on the depth chart. By his senior year in 1978, he had already helped Notre Dame secure an AP/Coaches national title with an eleven-win season.
Reader's Guide
Joe Montana won four Super Bowls, all with the San Francisco 49ers. He did not win any Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs. His most famous college comeback occurred in 1975 against Air Force, when he entered the game in the fourth quarter with Air Force leading 30–10 and led Notre Dame to a 31–30 victory.
Did You Know?
- Montana was the first player to be named Super Bowl MVP three times.
- He holds Super Bowl career records for most passes without an interception (122 in four games) and the all-time highest passer rating of 127.8.
- Montana won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 1986 after a severe back injury.
- He was named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1989 and 1990.
- The 49ers retired Montana's No. 16 jersey after his playing career.
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