The Comeback Kid.
It’s always worthwhile watching the NFL, and keeping an eye on NFL betting odds. However, there is something to be said for knowing the legends of this game. There are many legends with outstanding legacies in the NFL, but one of these is Joe Montana, otherwise known as Joe Cool, or the Comeback Kid.
He was an American gridiron football player who was undoubtedly one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. He led the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories; 1982, 1985, 1989, and 1990). He was also named as the Super Bowls MVP thrice!
He ranks among football’s all-time leaders in passing yards at 40,551, and 273 touchdown passes.
He was known for his ability to bring his team calmly to victory from the brink of defeat during the final moments of the game, hence the name ‘the comeback kid’, and his earning of the nickname ‘Cool Joe’.
He was raised in Pennsylvania, and actually excelled at baseball, basketball, and football in high school. He was offered a basketball scholarship in North Carolina, but instead chose the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, to play collegiate football.
And it was just as well that he did. He began his junior year as the Fighting Irish’s string quarterback, but then became the starter, where he led the team to a comeback victory in the third game of the ‘77 seasons. He then led them to the NCAA Division I-A national championship. He was then selected in the third round of the NFL draft in 1979 by the 49ers.
His career and ‘the catch’.
He became the 49ers starting quarterback halfway through his second season with San Francisco. His field vision and decision-making were ideal for Walsh’s West Coast offense, which needed a series of short, accurate passes to move the ball downfield. Montana led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl victory in ‘82, also earning game MVP honors in the process.
His team’s play-off run was highlighted by a game-winning touchdown pass from Montana to Dwight Clark with only 51 seconds remaining on the clock. This play later came to be known as ‘The Catch’, and is a play that has gone down in history and will be forever remembered as one of the most epic plays to be made.
The 49ers were then led by Montana to win a second Super Bowl title in 1985, at the same time Montana won yet another Super Bowl MVP award, when they defeated the Miami Dolphins.
The following spring, they drafted wide receiver Jerry Rice, who teamed up with Montana for six seasons to form one of the most absolutely incredible and prolific passing combinations in the history of the NFL.
In ‘89 Montana led a dramatic late-game drive against the Bengals to win a third Super Bowl. Despite how they had lost Walsh to retirement in the off-season, the 49ers repeated as champions yet again in the following year while they posted the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history with 45 points.
Montana took home his third Super Bowl MVP trophy with this, and in addition to his postseason accolades, he was named NFL MVP in 1989 and in 1990.
Reason to remember.
Joe Montana is a player who has reminded us over and over that you should never assume anything. While it often looked like his team would be the losing team, his comebacks always turned things around quickly. He didn’t only keep his opposition on their toes, but everyone watching too. If you bet thinking he was going to lose, you would probably end up filled with regret as the Comeback Kid hit hard with his comeback touchdowns.