Joe Montana

Joseph Clifford Montana Jr nicknamed Joe Cool and the Comeback Kid is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history Born June 11 1956 in New Eagle Pennsylvania Montana grew up in Monongahela and starred at Ringgold High School in football basketball and baseball At Notre Dame he became legendary for lategame heroics including the 1979 Cotton Bowl Chicken Soup Game where he overcame hypothermia to lead the Fighting Irish from a 3412 deficit to a 3534 victory over Houston Drafted 82nd overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 1979s third round Montana spent 14 seasons in San Francisco before finishing his career with the Kansas City Chiefs 19931994 With the 49ers he won four Super Bowls XVI XIX XXIII XXIV and became the first player ever to be named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player three times He also holds Super Bowl career records for most passes without an interception 122 in four games and the alltime highest passer rating of 1278 His undefeated 40 Super Bowl record remains legendary Montanas strengths defined clutch performance icecold composure under pressure pinpoint accuracy 632 career completion percentage exceptional decisionmaking 923 career passer rating and an uncanny ability to orchestrate comeback victories32 fourthquarter comebacks in his career Sports Illustrated named him the numberone clutch quarterback of all time His greatest moments became instant NFL lore The CatchJanuary 10 1982 NFC Championship versus Dallas Montanas 6yard touchdown pass to Dwight Clark with 51 seconds remaining completed an 89yard drive and sent the 49ers to Super Bowl XVI The DriveSuper Bowl XXIII Montana methodically marched the 49ers 92 yards in the final minutes throwing a 10yard gamewinning touchdown to John Taylor with 34 seconds left for a 2016 victory over Cincinnati and Super Bowl XXIVMontana threw a thenrecord five touchdown passes in a 5510 demolition of Denver the most lopsided Super Bowl victory in history Montana was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 earned eight Pro Bowl selections and had his No 16 jersey retired by the 49ers After football Montana cofounded Liquid 2 Ventures in 2015 becoming a successful venture capitalist He owns horses produces wine under the label Montagia and actively supports the MakeAWish Foundation