Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former 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 at Notre Dame, 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. He also 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. 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.
In 1986, Montana won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. In 1989 and again in 1990, the Associated Press named Montana the NFL MVP, and Sports Illustrated magazine named Montana the 1990 "Sportsman of the Year". Montana was elected to eight Pro Bowls as well as being voted First-team All-Pro by the AP in 1987, 1989, and 1990. 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 NFL.
Among his career highlights, "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 are staples of NFL highlight films.
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.
Early life
Montana was born in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, 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 south of Pittsburgh.
Montana's family were Italian-American, the name Montana being an Americanized form of the surname Montani, which comes from Camonica Valley in northern Italy.
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.
Graduation and the NFL Draft
Montana graduated from Notra Dame with a degree in business administration and marketing. Although the NFL Combine was not formed until 1982, NFL scouts still evaluated potential draftees through the use of combines in 1979. Candidates were rated in a number of categories on a scale of one to nine, with one being the worst mark and nine being the best mark.[17] The categories they used were contingent on the position that the athlete played.
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.
In the 1979 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Montana at the end of the third round with the 82nd overall pick. Montana was the fourth quarterback taken, behind Thompson, Phil Simms, and Steve Fuller, all selected in the first round.
Retirement
On April 18, 1995, Montana announced his retirement at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. The event was broadcast live on local television, and included speeches from John Madden, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., and others. Highlights from Montana's stay with San Francisco and interviews with former 49ers teammates were also shown. Bill Walsh, who had served as head coach for three of Montana's four Super Bowl victories, was the emcee for the event.
Personal life
Montana has been married three times. In 1974, he wed his hometown sweetheart Kim Moses during his second semester at Notra Dame and they divorced three years later. In 1981, he married Cass Castillo; they divorced in 1984. 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".
Montana resides in San Francisco. He owns horses and produces wine under the label Montagia.
Montana frequently works with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
If you want to read a lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Montana
- SERVES
- 3
- COOK TIME
- 10 Min
If you like crispy-fried onion strings, like the kind that are popular in restaurants, then you'll love this 5-ingredient recipe for easy, homemade, Onion Strings. They're simple to make, but the end results will leave you feeling like a restaurant chef. Whether you make them for tasty nibbling or as a main dish topper, these onion strings are always a hit! We consider them a simple yet fancy way to say ..."OHH IT'S SO GOOD!!"
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper; mix well.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Place onion rings in flour, coat well, then carefully place in hot oil.
- Fry onions 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, and serve immediately.
- Use these to fancy up a juicy steak, top off a chef's salad (instead of croutons), or however else you like.
On May 31st, we celebrate The Beehive State on National Utah Day!
Utah became the 45th state on January 4, 1896, and is home to The Great Salt Lake, a deeply rooted Native American heritage, and a far-reaching desert history.
Travel in the footsteps of Utah’s namesake, the Utes, or the Shoshone, Navajo or Goshute. Follow the trails of early explorers or Mormon settlers. They all lived among the natural arches and bridges formed long ago. These architectural wonders of nature are a cornerstone of Utah.
Find treasure everywhere you look. From the sunrise to the spiraling cliffs and the bejeweled night sky. Catch an unobstructed view of the Milky Way for miles or schedule a trip just in time for a meteor shower. Since Utah has significantly less light pollution, night star viewing is spectacular!
Discover why some still believe the world flat by visiting Bonneville Salt Flats. Home of land speed records and a barren environment, the salt flats were once part of a much larger lake. The Great Salt Lake is one of its remnants.
HOW TO OBSERVE National Utah Day
Join National Day Calendar as we celebrate the 45th state to join the union. Explore the history and people of Utah. Follow the trails of the pioneers and discover a wealth of heritage in one place.
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