"If the success of a leader of any team is defined in victories, then Joe Montana and the teams he has been associated with would be recognized as simply the best" - Marty Schottenheimer, NFL Coach.
Maybe that was slightly overstated, but only slightly. Joe Montana was a consummate master of the quarterback position in the National Football League in the 1980s and 90s. By the time he finally retired in 1994, he had won 4 Super Bowls, been named to 8 Pro Bowls and was named MVP in three of those Super Bowls.
Montana was born in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 1956, the only child of Joe Sr. and Theresa, and raised in nearby Monongahela. The family lived in a two-story frame house in a middle-class neighborhood and Joe Sr. helped his son get involved with sports. After a high school career that saw him excel in many sports, he accepted a scholarship to play at the University of Norte Dame.
He started off his college career as a benchwarmer, but by the third game of the 1977 season, Montana was put in the game, and responded by pulling out one of many 4th quarter victories in his career. He had a very successful season in 1978 helping the Irish win the national championship, and had another stellar season in 1979, capping off the year with a memorable victory in the Cotton Bowl against the University of Houston.
Even though he was a proven winner in college, Montana was not selected until the third round of the NFL draft where Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers selected him with the 82nd selection overall. Admittedly, there were reasons that some NFL teams shied away from Joe. He did not exactly have a cannon arm (and never would), was not very fast or mobile, and while being 6 ft 2 in tall (only average by NFL quarterback standards), weighed in at only 195 pounds, making scouts wonder if he could survive the punishment that the NFL can dish out.
But Joe had many positives as well, many even saying that he was "born" to play quarterback. He could see the whole field, and had the superior intelligence to make use of what he saw. Pressure never seemed to faze him, and he was also a consummate competitor, in that he REALLY hated to lose. Montana just seemed to have "it"; the intangibles that all great quarterbacks possess.
The 49ers brought Montana along slowly, having him sit out the first year so he could learn the nuances of the West Coast offense, then inserting him as the starter in 1981. Montana provided dividends right away, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record and the playoffs (which included the infamous "The Catch" game), eventually capturing San Francisco's first Super Bowl by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI. While Montana's statistics were not anything special (14-for-22, 157 yards, 1 TD), he was named the game's Most Valuable Player, and being 25, the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl MVP (until Tom Brady won in SuperBowl XXXVI).
Three years later Montana and the 49ers struck paydirt again, beating the Miami Dolphins 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX. This time he was the focal point of the game, throwing 3 touchdown passes, and was 24-for-35 for 331 yards. He also ran for 59 yards and one touchdown, which was more rushing yards than the whole Dolphin team could muster. He set Super Bowl records in both passing and rushing and earned his second MVP award, prompting Dolphins defensive coordinator Chuck Studley to say:
``You know what makes Montana so tough?" `"There's nobody else like him. . . . The way he knows where he is, where his receivers are, that complete vision he has -- it's unbelievable."
Joe had some injury problems in 1986, some of them serious enough that doctors advised him to retire, but he instead plugged on, earning his third Super Bowl trip against the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. The Bengals proved to be a tough foe, as Joe and the 49ers found themselves behind in the game 16-13 late in the fourth quarter. The 49ers had the ball with 3:10 left, but they were on their own eight yard line. Joe remained cool as usual. How cool? Harris Barton, an offensive lineman for the 49ers at the time relates:
``Right before that series, we're standing on the sidelines, and he says, `Look up there.' He's pointing up in the stands. He says, `That's John Candy.' ''
At one point in the drive, Montana actually was hyperventilating and having trouble catching his breath (mostly due to yelling out the plays over the din of the crowd). Nonetheless, he took the 49ers 92 yards in 11 plays, throwing a 10-yard pass to John Taylor for the winning touchdown with 34 seconds to go, winning the game 20-16.
The next season, under new head coach George Seifert, Montana took the 49ers to a 14-2 record. San Francisco won its postseason games by 28, 27 and 45 points and belted the Denver Broncos 55-10 in Super Bowl XXIV. Montana completed 22 of 29 passes for 297 yards and a then-record five touchdowns. He also threw 13 straight completions, setting a Super Bowl record and earning a third MVP award.
Injuries raised their ugly head for Joe in 1991 and 1992, making him miss over 30 games. Even worse for Montana, by the time he came back, another future Hall of Famer, Steve Young had taken full control of the 49er quarterback position. Due to his age (36) and his injury history, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993. He led the Chiefs to two playoff appearances before retiring at age 38.
Some notable facts about Joe Montana's NFL career:
- Eight time Pro Bowl selection.
- Two time NFL MVP.
- Led the NFL in passing five times.
- Second all time in passing efficiency. (92.3)
- First ballot NFL Hall of Famer. (2000)
- Seventh in touchdown passes thrown all time (273).
- Thirty-one fourth quarter comebacks.
- Sixth in total yards. (40,511)
Notre dame statistics for Joe Montana:
GAME ATT. COMP. INT. YDS. TDS. RESULT
Boston College DNP . . . . .
Purdue 1 0 1 0 0 W 17-0
Northwestern 11 6 0 80 1 W 31-7
Michigan State 5 2 1 19 0 L 10-3
North Carolina 4 3 0 129 1 W 21-14
Air Force 18 7 3 134 1 W 31-30
USC 11 3 2 25 0 L 24-17
Navy 16 7 1 120 1 W 31-10
Georgia Tech DNP Broken finger . . . .
Pittsburgh DNP Broken finger . . . .
Miami DNP Broken finger . . . .
TOTALS 66 28 8 507 4
1976 NOTRE DAME STATS - MISSED SEASON DUE TO INJURY
1977 NOTRE DAME STATS
GAME ATT. COMP. INT. YDS. TDS. RESULT
Pittsburgh DNP . . . . .
Mississippi DNP . . . . .
Purdue 14 9 0 154 1 W 31-24
Michigan State 23 8 3 105 0 W 16-6
Army 17 8 1 109 0 W 24-0
USC 24 13 1 167 2 W 49-19
Navy 24 11 2 260 1 W 43-10
Georgia Tech 25 15 0 273 3 W 69-14
Clemson 21 9 0 172 0 W 21-17
Air Force 15 11 1 172 1 W 49-0
Miami 26 15 0 192 3 W 48-10
TOTALS 189 99 8 1,604 11
Post Season
Cotton Bowl 25 10 1 111 1 W 38-10
1978 NOTRE DAME STATS
.
GAME ATT. COMP. INT. YDS. TDS. RESULT
Missouri 28 13 2 151 0 L 3-0
Michigan 29 16 2 192 1 L 28-14
Purdue 11 7 2 95 0 W 10-16
Michigan State 12 6 0 149 0 W 29-25
Pittsburgh 25 15 0 218 2 W 26-17
Air Force 24 13 0 193 2 W 38-15
Miami 20 12 1 175 0 W 20-0
Navy 26 14 1 145 1 W 27-7
Tennessee 25 11 0 144 0 W 31-14
Georgia Tech 19 14 0 190 2 W 38-21
USC 41 20 1 358 2 L 27-25
TOTALS 260 141 9 2,010 10
POST SEASON
Cotton Bowl 34 13 3 163 1 W 35-34
National Football League statistics for Joe Montana:
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
| Year TM | G | Comp Att PCT YD Y/A TD INT | Att Yards TD |
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
| 1979 sfo | 16 | 13 23 56.5 96 4.2 1 0 | 3 22 0 |
| 1980 sfo | 15 | 176 273 64.5 1795 6.6 15 9 | 32 77 2 |
| 1981 sfo | 16 | 311 488 63.7 3565 7.3 19 12 | 25 95 2 |
| 1982 sfo | 9 | 213 346 61.6 2613 7.6 17 11 | 30 118 1 |
| 1983 sfo | 16 | 332 515 64.5 3910 7.6 26 12 | 61 284 2 |
| 1984 sfo | 16 | 279 432 64.6 3630 8.4 28 10 | 39 118 2 |
| 1985 sfo | 15 | 303 494 61.3 3653 7.4 27 13 | 42 153 3 |
| 1986 sfo | 8 | 191 307 62.2 2236 7.3 8 9 | 17 38 0 |
| 1987 sfo | 13 | 266 398 66.8 3054 7.7 31 13 | 35 141 1 |
| 1988 sfo | 14 | 238 397 59.9 2981 7.5 18 10 | 38 132 3 |
| 1989 sfo | 13 | 271 386 70.2 3521 9.1 26 8 | 49 227 3 |
| 1990 sfo | 15 | 321 520 61.7 3944 7.6 26 16 | 40 162 1 |
| 1992 sfo | 1 | 15 21 71.4 126 6.0 2 0 | 3 28 0 |
| 1993 kan | 11 | 181 298 60.7 2144 7.2 13 7 | 25 64 0 |
| 1994 kan | 14 | 299 493 60.6 3283 6.7 16 9 | 18 17 0 |
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
| TOTAL | 192 | 3409 5391 63.2 40551 7.5 273 139 | 457 1676 20 |
+----------+-----+---------------------------------------+-----------------+
NFL Post Season statistics for Joe Montana.
* denotes Super Bowl.
Year Opp Result | CMP ATT PYD PTD INT | RSH YD TD
---------------------+--------------------------+-----------------
1981 nyg W,38-24 | 20 31 304 2 1 | 3 -9 0
1981 dal W,28-27 | 25 33 286 3 3 | 3 -5 0
*1981 cin W,26-21 | 14 22 157 1 0 | 6 18 1
1983 det W,24-23 | 18 31 201 1 1 | 3 16 0
1983 was L,21-24 | 27 48 347 3 1 | 5 40 0
1984 nyg W,21-10 | 25 39 309 3 3 | 3 63 0
1984 chi W,23-0 | 18 34 233 1 2 | 5 22 0
*1984 mia W,38-16 | 24 35 331 3 0 | 5 59 1
1985 nyg L,3-17 | 26 47 296 0 1 | 1 0 0
1986 nyg L,3-49 | 8 15 98 0 2 | 0 0 0
1987 min L,24-36 | 12 26 109 0 1 | 3 20 0
1988 min W,34-9 | 16 27 178 2 1 | 3 18 0
1988 chi W,28-3 | 17 27 288 3 0 | 3 12 0
*1988 cin W,20-16 | 23 36 357 2 0 | 5 9 0
1989 min W,41-13 | 17 24 241 4 0 | 2 0 0
1989 ram W,30-3 | 26 30 262 2 0 | 1 4 0
*1989 den W,55-10 | 22 29 297 5 0 | 2 15 0
1990 was W,28-10 | 22 31 274 2 1 | 1 1 0
1990 nyg L,13-15 | 18 26 190 1 0 | 2 9 0
1993 pit W,27-24 | 28 43 276 1 0 | 4 13 0
1993 hou W,28-20 | 22 38 299 3 2 | 1 -1 0
1993 buf L,13-30 | 9 23 125 0 1 | 1 1 0
1994 mia L,17-27 | 26 37 314 2 1 | 2 5 0
---------------------+--------------------------+-----------------
TOTAL | 463 732 5772 44 21 | 64 310 2