Tue
09
Nov
2010
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.
The iconic quarterback
Joe Montana began his NFL career with the 49ers in 1979, and remained there through 14 seasons, before spending his last two seasons - which ended in 1994 - as quarterback for the Kansas City
Chiefs. He is perhaps best known for his ability to rally his team from the utter depths of defeat and lead them to victory with spectacular, breathtaking last quarter drives. Though he was
always a highly composed field general, his legend has grown over time to the point where many whose memories have faded now think of the 49ers as having always been behind in their games. In
truth, Montana had a total of 31 total comeback drives in the fourth quarter of games. It just seems like more in hindsight because so many of them were in high pressure championship
matches.
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.
A part of history
Joe Cool's legacy with the 49ers cannot be easily summed up. Many people today remember him more for the quarterback controversy that existed in his final few years with the team than for the
great plays, startling wins, and championships that the team enjoyed with him under center. It was perhaps fitting that, when the 49ers eventually traded him in 1993 to the Kansas City Chiefs,
Montana would go on to lead them to the AFC Championship game in that year. Joe just didn't know how to lose.
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