Gold Jacket Spotlight: Joe Montana known for comebacks on field and off
Along the path to the Super Bowl championships, Most Valuable Player awards and numerous “all-time teams,” one of JOE MONTANA'S greatest attributes was his ability to rally his high school, college and professional teams from seemingly certain defeats.
Joe’s above-normal proficiency to lead his team in come-from-behind situations might have been equaled by his ability to return to the playing field after serious injuries.
“His comebacks on the field are matched only by his comebacks to the field,” Sports Illustrated’s Rick Telander wrote in 1994. “As it is with all geniuses, Montana does things that are inexplicable.”
This week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight focuses its beam on the unfathomable events that became known as “Montana Magic.”
Joe’s reputation as a winner began during his high school career when he played an integral role in turning Ringgold High School’s football team in Monongahela, Pa., into a playoff contender. Joe also played basketball in high school and displayed enough talent to be considered for a basketball scholarship at North Carolina State University.
Electing to attend Notre Dame, Joe’s playing time was limited during his early seasons, yet in his sophomore campaign he came off the bench to lead the Fighting Irish to a pair of victories. He repeated the performance his junior season.
“When the pressure came, we knew he was a guy who wouldn’t overheat,” said Dave Waymer, a defensive back in the NFL who had played wide receiver during Joe’s college days at Notre Dame.
One of Joe’s most recognized come-from-behind Notre Dame performances came in the 1979 Cotton Bowl, often referred to as the “chicken soup” game.
The bowl game was played Jan. 1, 1979, following an ice storm in Dallas. With the Irish trailing 34-12 in the final quarter, Joe, who was battling symptoms of hypothermia, including a below-normal body temperature, was given bouillon as a remedy.
Joe and his team rallied with a 23-point fourth quarter, providing the Irish the 35-34 win. It was Joe’s seventh collegiate comeback victory.
The “Montana Magic” continued into the NFL after Joe was drafted in the third round (82nd overall selection) by the San Francisco 49ers.
Included among his thrilling performances was a 38-35 overtime victory over New Orleans after trailing 35-7 in 1980 and the 1981 NFC Championship Game in which he tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dwight Clark, historically referred to as “The Catch.”
“I knew after the Dallas game that if we were ever in a real crucial situation, Joe was gonna get it done,” declared Clark after the iconic play.
In 1989, the magic was once again on display when Joe engineered a 92-yard, 11-play drive in the last three minutes of Super Bowl XXIII to cap a 20-16 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Joe’s unassuming reaction to the late-game success was simple: “The biggest thing is having people around you who want something as bad as you do. That makes my job easy,” he said to Paul Bauman of the Japan Times.
Vito Stellino of The Sporting News wrote what might best describe Joe’s legend, “His calling card has been his ability to pull out games with last-minute heroics.”
Joe also exhibited a special ability to come back from injury, including his return to the field less than two months after back surgery in 1986. That return prompted former NFL coach Sid Gillman to consider it “the greatest comeback I’ve seen in 50 years in football.”
Randy Cross, Joe’s teammate, concluded, “Joe’s the best quarterback in the NFL. Has been. It’s that simple. Look at what the guy’s done. The back surgery. The adversity this year. Take a poll. Who do you want at quarterback in a big game? Joe.”
Joe’s above-normal proficiency to lead his team in come-from-behind situations might have been equaled by his ability to return to the playing field after serious injuries.
“His comebacks on the field are matched only by his comebacks to the field,” Sports Illustrated’s Rick Telander wrote in 1994. “As it is with all geniuses, Montana does things that are inexplicable.”
This week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight focuses its beam on the unfathomable events that became known as “Montana Magic.”
Joe’s reputation as a winner began during his high school career when he played an integral role in turning Ringgold High School’s football team in Monongahela, Pa., into a playoff contender. Joe also played basketball in high school and displayed enough talent to be considered for a basketball scholarship at North Carolina State University.
Electing to attend Notre Dame, Joe’s playing time was limited during his early seasons, yet in his sophomore campaign he came off the bench to lead the Fighting Irish to a pair of victories. He repeated the performance his junior season.
“When the pressure came, we knew he was a guy who wouldn’t overheat,” said Dave Waymer, a defensive back in the NFL who had played wide receiver during Joe’s college days at Notre Dame.
One of Joe’s most recognized come-from-behind Notre Dame performances came in the 1979 Cotton Bowl, often referred to as the “chicken soup” game.
The bowl game was played Jan. 1, 1979, following an ice storm in Dallas. With the Irish trailing 34-12 in the final quarter, Joe, who was battling symptoms of hypothermia, including a below-normal body temperature, was given bouillon as a remedy.
Joe and his team rallied with a 23-point fourth quarter, providing the Irish the 35-34 win. It was Joe’s seventh collegiate comeback victory.
The “Montana Magic” continued into the NFL after Joe was drafted in the third round (82nd overall selection) by the San Francisco 49ers.
Included among his thrilling performances was a 38-35 overtime victory over New Orleans after trailing 35-7 in 1980 and the 1981 NFC Championship Game in which he tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dwight Clark, historically referred to as “The Catch.”
“I knew after the Dallas game that if we were ever in a real crucial situation, Joe was gonna get it done,” declared Clark after the iconic play.
In 1989, the magic was once again on display when Joe engineered a 92-yard, 11-play drive in the last three minutes of Super Bowl XXIII to cap a 20-16 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Joe’s unassuming reaction to the late-game success was simple: “The biggest thing is having people around you who want something as bad as you do. That makes my job easy,” he said to Paul Bauman of the Japan Times.
Vito Stellino of The Sporting News wrote what might best describe Joe’s legend, “His calling card has been his ability to pull out games with last-minute heroics.”
Joe also exhibited a special ability to come back from injury, including his return to the field less than two months after back surgery in 1986. That return prompted former NFL coach Sid Gillman to consider it “the greatest comeback I’ve seen in 50 years in football.”
Randy Cross, Joe’s teammate, concluded, “Joe’s the best quarterback in the NFL. Has been. It’s that simple. Look at what the guy’s done. The back surgery. The adversity this year. Take a poll. Who do you want at quarterback in a big game? Joe.”