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| Birth Name(s) : Joe Montana |
Date of Birth: N/A |
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Full Joe Montana Biography
In 1989, and again in 1990, the Associated Press (AP), an American news agency, named Montana the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP). Sports Illustrated magazine named Montana the 1990 "Sportsman of the Year". Four years earlier, in 1986, Montana won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. As a result of his high level of play, Montana appeared in eight Pro Bowls, the NFL's version of an all-star game. Montana had the highest passer rating in the National Football Conference (NFC) five times (1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1989); and, in both 1987 and 1989, Montana had the highest passer rating in the entire NFL.
Noted for his ability to remain calm under pressure, Montana helped his teams to 31 fourth quarter come-from-behind wins. In the closing moments of the 1982 NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XXIII, Montana threw game-winning touchdown passes. The touchdown at the end of the championship game was so memorable that sports journalists, fans, and many others, refer to the play simply as "The Catch". The touchdown in the closing moments of Super Bowl XXIII came at the end of a 92-yard drive.
Joe Montana was born in New Eagle, a borough of Washington County, Pennsylvania located in the western portion of the state. He grew up in nearby Monongahela, a coal mining town 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. His grandparents emigrated to Western Pennsylvania from Sicily
One of Montana's most notable performances during his high school years was during his senior year in a game against Monessen High School. Although Monessen scored a game-tying touchdown in the final moments, Montana's performance garnered attention from college recruiters, particularly those from the University of Notre Dame. In the game, Montana completed 12 passes in 22 attempts, threw for 223 yards, and scored three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Montana was also an all-state basketball player in Pennsylvania and was offered a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina by Dean Smith. However, football was his first love.
Notre Dame eventually offered Montana a scholarship, and he accepted. One contributing factor in Montana's choice of colleges was that Terry Hanratty, his boyhood idol, had attended Notre Dame. In 2006, thirty-two years after Montana had graduated, Ringgold renamed their football stadium "Joe Montana Stadium".
Thus, Montana did not appear in a single varsity game his freshman year. Additionally, he played just a small amount in freshman team games. Montana's first significant contributions to the Notre Dame football team came during his sophomore year.
Montana fell ill during the game, but returned during the fourth quarter. Notre Dame ran their last offensive play with two-seconds remaining on the game clock. They scored a touchdown and won the game 35 to 34. As a result of the game, Notre Dame went on to produce a promotional film called Seven and a Half Minutes to Destiny. Coach Devine later referred to the piece as a "Joe Montana film."
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 Dwight Clark made a leaping catch for the game-tying touchdown. With just 51 seconds left on the game clock, Wersching kicked the extra point and San Francisco won the game 28-27. The catch by Clark was coined simply The Catch; and it helped put San Francisco into Super Bowl XVI.
The next year, Montana threw for 3,910 yards and 26 touchdowns in 16 regular season games. The team ended the regular season with a 10-6 record and finished first in the NFC West. In the divisional playoff game, they faced the Detroit Lions. Yet again, Montana demonstrated his ability to perform well in high-pressure situations. Despite being out played in terms of total yardage, the 49ers trailed by just six points as the game neared its conclusion. However, with 1:23 remaining in regulation, the 49ers offense had the ball at the Lions 14-yard line. Montana completed a touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Solomon, and San Francisco took the lead on the ensuing extra-point.
Montana again had an excellent season and earned his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl. In their first two playoff games, the 49ers defeated the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears by a combined score of 44-10. In Super Bowl XIX, the 49ers faced the Dolphins, whose quarterback was future Hall of Fame inductee and fellow Western Pennsylvanian Dan Marino.
Prior to the 1987 season, Bill Walsh helped the 49ers organize and complete a trade for Steve Young, then a quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Young went on to appear in eight regular season games for the team and finished the year with a passer rating of 120.8.
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 at quarterback. Young appeared in 11 games that year and rumors surfaced claiming that Montana might be traded. |
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