The 49ers of San Francisco are, without a doubt, one of the top team in the history of the National Football League. Winners of five Lombardi trophies, the 49ers were a powerhouse in the Eighties and Nineties. With their West Coast offense and sterling quarterbacks, they were the very definition of the word “dynasty” during their heyday. From 1984, the team managed to have ten or more victories in each of the next sixteen seasons – and incredible accomplishment. Some of the talent during that time frame ranks among the most regarded players of all time, with names like Jerry Rice and Steve Young. Of course, it is also impossible to overlook the presence of perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time – and a man responsible for four of those Super Bowl wins: Joe Montana.

An Icon

Picked up by the 49ers in 1979, Montana would be the team’s quarterback until 1992. There has probably never been a player at his position with the sound football sense that Golden Joe had. Never one to panic, he always knew that every game was within reach even if his team was behind on the scoreboard. His last-minute comeback drives are now the stuff of legend, as he engineered 31 such drives during his time as quarterback. Ask any fan of the man and you’ll probably hear a number closer to 200, simply because his comebacks were of such a high profile that it now seems like there were more of them than there actually were. The truth is that the 49ers were never behind as often as fans’ memories might now portray them as being. The efficiency of their offense kept them ahead or close to the lead in most games.

The Super Bowl King

Montana’s first shot at the Super Bowl will always stand out as a thing of beauty. It was in the 1981 campaign against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. As seemed to happen so often in big games, the 49ers were behind and seemingly on the ropes, with little time left to spare. Joe was fearless, however, as he led his team down the field, and ultimately threw the pass to Dwight Clark that resulted in the game-winning touchdown score. That pass, now simply known in NFL Lore by the nickname “The Catch”, has become recognized as a truly great NFL moment. After defeating the Cowboys, the 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals for the Super Bowl crown – a game that saw Montana win MVP honors for his outstanding performance. Of course, that would not be the last that the Bowl would see of Montana, as he would lead San Francisco back to more victories in the Nineteenth, Twenty-Third, and Twenty-Fourth Super Bowls. At the end of it all, Montana had been named the Super Bowl’s MVP three times – the only player ever to accomplish that feat.

The Legend of Joe

There is no simple way to describe Joe Montana, and time seems to have worn some of the luster from his legend. In fact, there are even some NFL commentators who refer back more to the controversy with Steve Young than to the many accomplishments the team achieved during his time there. For Joe, even his trade to Kansas City couldn’t quench his desire to win. In fact, after the trade, he simply went about his business and took the Chiefs to the AFC title game.

Author Bio: Ivan Jamison is a big sports fan. You can check out his San Francisco 49’ers Watch or his Texas Rangers Watch or his Boston Red Sox Watch

Category: Sports
Keywords: San Francisco 49\’ers