Joe Montana Joseph Clifford " Joe " Montana , Jr . ( born June 11 , 1956 ) , nicknamed " Joe Cool " and " The Comeback Kid " , is a retired professional football player , a hall of fame quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs . After winning a college national championship at Notre Dame , Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with San Francisco , where he played for the next 14 seasons . Traded before the 1993 season , he spent his final two years in the league with Kansas City . While a member of the 49ers , Montana started in four Super Bowl games and won all of them . Montana was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 , his first year of eligibility . In 1989 , and again in 1990 , the Associated Press named Montana the NFL Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) , and " Sports Illustrated " magazine named Montana the 1990 " Sportsman of the Year " . Four years earlier , in 1986 , Montana won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award . Montana was elected to eight Pro Bowl s , as well as being voted 1st team All - Pro by the AP in 1987 , 1989 , and 1990 . Montana had the highest passer rating in the National Football Conference ( NFC ) five times ( 1981 , 1984 , 1985 , 1987 , and 1989 ) ; and , in both 1987 and 1989 , Montana had the highest passer rating in the entire NFL . Noted for his ability to remain calm under pressure , Montana helped his teams to 31 fourth quarter come - from - behind wins . In the closing moments of the and Super Bowl XXIII , Montana threw game - winning touchdown passes . The touchdown at the end of the championship game was so memorable that sports journalists , fans , and many others , refer to the play simply as " The Catch " . The touchdown in the closing moments of Super Bowl XXIII came at the end of a 92 - yard drive . The 49ers retired the number 16 , the jersey number Montana wore while with the team . In 1993 , Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and led the franchise to its first AFC Championship Game in January 1994 . In 1994 , Montana earned a spot on the NFL 75th Anniversary All - Time Team ; he is also a member of the NFL 1980s All - Decade Team . In 1999 , editors at " The Sporting News " ranked Montana third on their list of " Football ' s 100 Greatest Players " . Also in 1999 , ESPN named Montana the 25th greatest athlete of the 20th century . In 2006 , " Sports Illustrated " rated him the number one clutch quarterback of all - time . Early life . Montana was born to Joseph Clifford Montana , Sr . ( born 1932 ) and Theresa Marie Bavuso Montana ( 1935 – 2004 ) in New Eagle , Pennsylvania , a borough of Washington County located in the western portion of the state . He grew up in the neighbor city of Monongahela , a coal mining town south of Pittsburgh . His maternal grandparents , Vincenzo " James " Bavuso and Josephine Savarino Bavuso , were both Italian immigrants . His maternal grandmother , Josephine Savarino Bavuso ( 1909 – 1993 ) , emigrated from Sicily to the United States with her parents , Domenico Savarino ( 1885 – 1960 ) and Vincenza Diecidue Savarino ( 1885 – 1930 ) , in 1921 . Upon their arrival in the United States , the Savarino Family first settled in eastern Ohio in the small coal mining community of Harpersville , Smithfield Township , Jefferson County . A few years later , the family relocated to the Elm Grove area of Wheeling , Ohio County , West Virginia . Vincenzo " James " Bavuso and Josephine Savarino married in 1928 in Wheeling and later relocated to California , Washington County in Western Pennsylvania where their children — Samuel , Dominick , Theresa ( Montana ' s mother ) , Virginia and Patricia Bavuso — were born and raised . Joe Montana expressed an early interest in sports , and it was Montana Sr . who first taught him the game of football . Montana started to play youth football when he was just eight years old , aided in part by his father . Montana Sr . listed his son as a nine - year - old so that Montana could meet the league ' s minimum age requirement . During his formative years , Montana took an interest in baseball and basketball , in addition to football . In fact , basketball was Montana ' s favorite sport as a child . Montana Sr . started a local basketball team that his son played on . The team practiced and played at the local armory and played their games in various regional tournaments . Montana received his primary education at Waverly Elementary and his secondary education at Finleyville Junior High ( known as Finleyville Middle School ) and Ringgold High School . While at Ringgold , Montana played football , baseball , and basketball . Montana showed potential as a basketball player and helped Ringgold win the 1973 WPIAL Class AAA boys ' basketball championship while being named an all - state player . He was so good that during his senior year , North Carolina State offered Montana a basketball scholarship . Although Montana turned down the scholarship , he seriously considered NCSU because of a promise that he could play both basketball and football for the university . Montana spent his first two years on the high school football team as a backup . As a junior , Montana earned the job as the Ringgold Rams ' starting quarterback . Montana held the role for the final two years of his high school career ; after his senior year , " Parade " named him to their All - American team . One of Montana ' s most notable performances during his high school years was during his junior year in a game against Monessen High School . Although Monessen scored a game - tying touchdown in the final moments , Montana ' s performance garnered attention from college recruiters , particularly those from Notre Dame . In the game , Montana completed 12 passes in 22 attempts , threw for 223 yards , and scored three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown . Notre Dame eventually offered Montana a scholarship , and he accepted . One contributing factor in Montana ' s choice of colleges was that Terry Hanratty , his boyhood idol , had attended Notre Dame . In 2006 , thirty - two years after Montana had graduated , Ringgold High School renamed their football stadium " Joe Montana Stadium . " College career . 1974 . When Montana arrived at Notre Dame in the fall of 1974 , the football program was coached by Ara Parseghian . Under Parseghian ' s tenure , Notre Dame had won the NCAA national championship in 1966 and 1973 . Parseghian ' s success as a coach helped him recruit highly talented players . Though Montana was a talented player , under Notre Dame policy in 1974 freshmen were not permitted to practice with or play on the varsity team , and consequently Montana played only in a few freshman team games . Montana ' s first significant contributions to the Notre Dame football team came during his sophomore year . On December 15 , 1974 , Parseghian resigned due to health problems . The university hired Dan Devine to replace Parseghian . Despite his limited playing time the previous year , Montana performed well during the 1975 spring practice . Devine was so impressed that he later told his wife : " I ' m gonna start Joe Montana in the final spring game . " When she replied , " Who ' s Joe Montana ? " , Devine said : " He ' s the guy who ' s going to feed our family for the next few years . " 1975 . Devine did not feel Montana was ready to be the full - time starter in 1975 ; however , Montana played a key role in Notre Dame ' s victory over North Carolina . During the game , played in Chapel Hill , Montana came in with 5 : 11 left to play . At the time , North Carolina led by a score of 14 – 6 . Montana spent one minute and two seconds of game time on the field . In that time , he had 129 passing yards and Notre Dame won the game 21 – 14 . Against Air Force , Notre Dame ' s next opponent , Montana again entered the game in the fourth quarter . Although Air Force led 30 – 10 , Notre Dame won the game 31 - 30 . After the win against North Carolina , Devine said that Moose Krause , the Notre Dame Athletic Director , said that the game was the " greatest comeback I ' ve ever seen . " After the game against Air Force , Krause was quoted as saying : " This one ' s better than last week . " In those two games , Montana had demonstrated his ability to perform well in high pressure circumstances . That characteristic would prove valuable , and Montana relied on it throughout his football career . 1976 . Before the start of the 1976 season , Montana separated his shoulder , and was unable to compete that year and redshirted , earning him one more year of eligibility than other members of his scholarship class . 1977 . When the 1977 season began , Montana was the third quarterback listed on the team ' s depth chart , behind Rusty Lisch and Gary Forystek . Notre Dame won their season opener and then lost to Mississippi by a score of 20 – 13 . Montana did not appear in either of those games . In their third game of the season , Notre Dame played Purdue . Lisch started and was then replaced by Forystek . In one play , Forystek suffered a broken vertebra , a broken clavicle , and a severe concussion ; it was the last play of Forystek ' s sports career . Devine inserted Lisch back into the game before Montana finally had the opportunity to play . Montana entered with approximately 11 minutes remaining and Purdue leading 24 - 14 ; he threw for 154 yards and one touchdown , and Notre Dame won the game 31 - 24 . After the game , Devine made Montana the first quarterback on the depth chart and the team won their remaining nine games . In their final game of the season , Notre Dame defeated top - ranked Texas by a score of 38 – 10 in the Cotton Bowl . Notre Dame ' s record of eleven wins and one loss earned them the NCAA national title , the only title the school won while Devine was head coach . 1978 . The following year , Montana helped Notre Dame to a come - from - behind win against the Pitt Panthers . He almost pulled off a second one against USC , Notre Dame ' s primary rival . Trailing 24 – 6 in the second half , Montana led a fourth - quarter rally to put Notre Dame ahead , 25 – 24 with 45 seconds remaining , only to see the Trojans win , 27 – 25 , on a last - second field goal . On January 1 , 1979 , Notre Dame returned to the Cotton Bowl , this time against Houston . Montana ' s performance in that game is one of the most celebrated of his entire football career ; the circumstances of the game have led to it being referred to as the " Chicken Soup Game " . Montana fell ill during the game , received warmed intravenous fluids during halftime , during which he also drank chicken soup , and went back into the game in the fourth quarter . Notre Dame ran their last offensive play with two seconds remaining on the game clock . The Irish scored a touchdown and won the game 35 to 34 . As a result of the game , Notre Dame went on to produce a promotional film called " Seven and a Half Minutes to Destiny . " Coach Devine later referred to the piece as a " Joe Montana film . " Graduation and the NFL Draft . Montana graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in business administration and marketing . Although the NFL Combine was not formed until 1982 , NFL scouts still evaluated potential draftees through the use of combines in 1979 . Candidates were rated in a number of categories on a scale of one to nine , with one being the worst mark and nine being the best mark . The categories they used were contingent on the position that the athlete played . Despite his performance on the field , Montana was not rated highly by most scouts . At one combine , Montana rated out as six - and - a - half overall with a six in arm strength , used to judge how hard and how far a prospect could throw the ball . By comparison , Jack Thompson of Washington State rated an eight , the highest grade among eligible quarterbacks . In the 1979 NFL Draft , the San Francisco 49ers selected Montana at the end of the third round with the 82nd overall pick . Montana was the fourth quarterback taken , behind Thompson , Phil Simms , and Steve Fuller , all selected in the first round . Professional career . San Francisco 49ers . 1979 - 1980 . Although Montana appeared in all 16 regular season games during the 1979 season , he only threw 23 passes . He spent most of the season as the backup on the San Francisco depth chart behind starter Steve DeBerg . Montana became the starting quarterback midway through the 1980 season . On December 7 , 1980 , San Francisco hosted the winless New Orleans Saints . The Saints took a 35 – 7 lead at halftime . At the start of the fourth quarter , New Orleans still led by a score of 35 – 21 , but San Francisco tied the game by the end of regulation play . In overtime , Ray Wersching kicked a field goal to win the game for San Francisco , 38 – 35 . This marked the first fourth quarter comeback victory in Montana ' s NFL career . During his 16 seasons in the NFL , this happened a total of 31 times with Montana at quarterback ; 26 of those coming as a 49er . Though San Francisco finished 1980 with a record of 6 - 10 , Montana passed for 1 , 795 yards and 15 touchdown passes against nine interceptions . He also completed 64 . 5 percent of his passes , which led the league . 1981 – 1983 . Montana began the 1981 season as San Francisco ' s starting quarterback . The season ended up as one of the franchise ' s most successful seasons to that point . Backed in part by Montana ' s strong performance at quarterback , the team finished the regular season with a 13 – 3 record . In fact , Montana helped San Francisco win two of those games with fourth - quarter comebacks . The season was a precursor to one of Montana ' s most memorable moments as a professional quarterback . On January 10 , 1982 , San Francisco faced the Dallas Cowboys at Candlestick Park in the National Football Conference Championship Game . The final quarter was marked by one of the most notable plays in NFL history . Larry Schwartz of ESPN . com later defined the 1981 NFC Championship as Montana ' s signature game . When San Francisco took possession with 4 : 54 left in regulation play , Dallas led 27 – 21 ; the drive began on San Francisco ' s 11 - yard line . Behind six successful Montana completions and four running plays , San Francisco moved the ball to the Dallas 13 - yard line . After one unsuccessful pass and then a seven - yard gain , San Francisco faced third down from the Dallas 6 - yard line . Montana took the snap and ran to his right . He then made an off - balance pass toward the back of the end zone , and San Francisco wide receiver Dwight Clark made a leaping catch for the game - tying touchdown . With just 51 seconds left on the game clock , Wersching kicked the extra point and San Francisco won the game 28 – 27 . The catch by Clark was coined simply " The Catch , " and it put San Francisco into Super Bowl XVI . San Francisco faced the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI . Montana completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards with one touchdown passing and one rushing touchdown . San Francisco won the game 26 – 21 , and in recognition of his performance , Montana won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award , which he accomplished two more times before he retired . The Super Bowl win also made Montana one of only two quarterbacks ( along with Joe Namath ) to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl . Montana had a prolific season in 1982 . However , the regular season was shortened to nine games when members of the Player ' s Association went on strike . Although San Francisco failed to make the playoffs , Montana threw for 2 , 613 yards and 17 touchdowns during the year . He also set what was then an NFL record with five consecutive 300 yard passing games . The next year , Montana threw for 3 , 910 yards and 26 touchdowns in 16 regular season games . The team ended the regular season with a 10 - 6 record and finished first in the NFC West . In the , they faced the Detroit Lions . Yet again , Montana demonstrated his ability to perform well in high - pressure situations . Despite being out - played in terms of total yardage , the 49ers trailed by just six points as the game neared its conclusion . With 1 : 23 remaining in regulation , the 49ers offense had the ball at the Lions 14 - yard line and Montana completed a touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Solomon , giving San Francisco the lead on the ensuing extra - point . The victory placed the 49ers in the against the Washington Redskins . As he had done before , Montana asserted himself late in the game . The Redskins led 21 – 0 at the start of the fourth quarter , but Montana helped lead the 49ers back . Aided by three fourth - quarter Montana touchdown passes , the 49ers tied the game at 21 . However , Redskins placekicker Mark Moseley kicked a 25 - yard field goal in the waning moments of the game . Despite Montana ' s efforts , the team lost 24 - 21 . 1984 . Though the Miami Dolphins finished the 1972 NFL season with no losses , the regular season at the time comprised only 14 games . Thus , when the 49ers finished the 1984 NFL season with a 15 – 1 record , they became the first team to win 15 games in a single season . Montana again had an excellent season and earned his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl . In their first two playoff games , the 49ers defeated the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears by a combined score of 44 - 10 . In Super Bowl XIX , the 49ers faced the Dolphins , whose quarterback was Dan Marino . In the game , Montana threw for three touchdowns and completed 24 of 35 passes . He established the Super Bowl record for most yards passing in a single game ( 331 ) and supplemented his passing with 59 yards rushing . The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 38 - 16 and Montana earned his second Super Bowl MVP award . After the game , 49ers head coach Bill Walsh said : " Joe Montana is the greatest quarterback today , maybe the greatest quarterback of all time . " 1985 – 1987 . Aided in part by Montana ' s performance at quarterback , the 49ers advanced to the NFL Playoffs again in 1985 ; however , they lost in the NFC Wild card game to the New York Giants . In 1986 , Montana suffered a severe back injury during week one of the season . The injury was to a spinal disc in Montana ' s lower back and required immediate surgery . The injury was so severe that Montana ' s doctors suggested that Montana retire . On September 15 , 1986 , the 49ers placed Montana on the injured reserve list ; however , he returned to the team on November 6 of that year . In his first game back from injury Montana passed for 270 yards and three touchdown passes in a 43 - 17 49er victory against the St . Louis Cardinals . Despite the fact that Montana appeared in just eight games , and , though he threw more interceptions than touchdown passes for the only time in his career , the 49ers finished the season with a record of 10 – 5 – 1 . Montana was also the co - recipient of the 1986 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award , an award which he shared with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer . In 1987 , Montana had 31 touchdown passes , a career high , in just 13 games . In 1987 , he also set the NFL record for most consecutive pass attempts without an incomplete pass ( 22 ) , passed for 3 , 054 yards , and had a passer rating of 102 . 1 . Though the 49ers finished with the best record in the NFL , they lost in the to the Minnesota Vikings . Prior to the 1987 season , Bill Walsh completed a trade for Steve Young , then a quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Young went on to appear in eight regular season games for the team and finished the year with a passer rating of 120 . 8 . 1988 – 1989 . Young ' s performance in 1987 was strong enough that by the time the 1988 season began , a controversy was in place as to who should get more playing time at quarterback . Young appeared in 11 games that year and rumors surfaced claiming that Montana might be traded . Despite the competition for playing time , Montana received most of the playing time during the 1988 season . After a home loss to the Los Angeles Raiders that left the 49ers with a 6 – 5 record , the 49ers were in danger of missing the playoffs . Montana regained the starting position and led the 49ers to a 10 - 6 record and the NFC Western Division title . The 49ers earned a trip to Super Bowl XXIII when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears in the playoffs . In the NFC Divisional Playoffs , the 49ers faced Minnesota , who had eliminated them the year before . Montana threw three first - half touchdowns as the 49ers won 34 - 9 . The victory over the Bears in the NFC Championship game is of particular note . Played at Soldier Field in Chicago , with temperatures in the single digits ( fahrenheit ) and a strong wind , Montana threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns . His first touchdown pass came on a 3rd down play late in the first quarter in which Montana threw a perfect sideline pass to Jerry Rice and Rice outran two Bears defenders for a 61 - yard score . The 49ers won 28 - 3 to advance to Super Bowl XXIII . In January 1989 , the 49ers again faced the Bengals in the Super Bowl . Of his third trip to the Super Bowl , Montana told the San Jose Mercury News : " This trip to the Super Bowl is more gratifying than the others because the road has been harder . " Then , in Super Bowl XXIII , Montana had one of the best performances of his career . He completed 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl record 357 yards and two touchdowns . Despite his great performance , the 49ers found themselves trailing the Cincinnati Bengals 16 - 13 with only 3 : 20 left in the game and the ball on their own 8 - yard line . But Montana calmly drove them down the field , completing 8 of 9 passes for 97 yards and throwing the game - winning touchdown pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left . 1989 proved to be successful for Montana and the 49ers . The team finished the regular season with an NFL - best 14 – 2 record , and their two losses were by a total of only five points . Montana threw for 3 , 521 yards and 26 touchdowns , with only 8 interceptions , giving him what was then the highest single - season passer rating in NFL history , a mark subsequently broken by Young in 1994 . He also rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns on the ground , and earned the NFL Most Valuable Player Award . In a memorable comeback win in week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles , Montana threw four touchdown passes in the 4th quarter . He finished with 428 yards passing and five touchdown passes in the victory . The 49ers were successful in the playoffs , easily beating the Minnesota Vikings 41 – 13 and the Los Angeles Rams 30 - 3 . Montana threw for a total of 503 yards and 6 touchdowns in those 2 games , without a single interception . Then , in Super Bowl XXIV , Montana became the first player ( and to date , the only player ) ever to win Super Bowl MVP honors for a third time , throwing for 297 yards and a then Super Bowl record five touchdowns , while also rushing for 15 yards as the 49ers defeated the Denver Broncos 55 - 10 , the most lopsided score in Super Bowl history . 1990 . In 1990 , Montana once again led the 49ers to the best regular season record ( 14 – 2 ) in the NFL . He was named by " Sports Illustrated " as Sportsman of the Year . A highlight from the season was a rematch with the Atlanta Falcons . Intent on blitzing Montana most of the game , Atlanta ' s defense allowed Montana to throw for a career - best 476 yards ( 49ers single - game record ) and six touchdown passes , five of them to Jerry Rice . He would end up throwing for 3 , 944 yards and 26 touchdowns , albeit while also throwing a career high 16 interceptions . The 49ers looked forward to becoming the first NFL team to win three consecutive Super Bowls , and they moved through the playoffs to the NFC Championship Game to face the New York Giants . The 49ers defense was able to hold backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler and the Giants without a touchdown , but the tide of the game changed when Montana was sacked by Leonard Marshall while rolling out of the quarterback pocket ; he was injured and left the game , which the Giants won 15 - 13 on the last of five Giants field goals . It would be his next to last appearance in a 49er uniform . 1991 – 1992 . Montana missed the entire 1991 season and most of the 1992 season with an elbow injury sustained during the . In the final game of the regular season ; a Monday Night Football matchup against the Detroit Lions , Montana stepped in and played the entire second half . Despite missing nearly two full seasons , Montana proved to be very effective , sealing the victory with " insurance points " . By this time , however , Steve Young had established himself as a starter , and took over for the playoffs . Though it was not known at the time , Montana would not see another snap in a 49er uniform . Quarterback controversy and departure . With Montana healthy and ready to play , a quarterback controversy soon emerged . Steve Young had proven his effectiveness in the two years he played while Montana was injured , and many fans and players alike felt that they had made the transition to Steve Young . Furthermore , Young did not want to play if he was utilized only as a backup . On the contrary , there was a strong sentiment that Montana was the " face of the franchise " and it would be right for him to remain so . A rift in the locker room developed , and Montana ultimately requested a trade . Although Young eventually led the team to another Super Bowl victory , he was never able to play without being reminded of being in the shadow of the player he replaced . Kansas City Chiefs . 1993 – 1994 . Joe Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in April 1993 . His trade , along with the free - agent signing of star Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen to the Chiefs , generated much media attention and excitement in Kansas City . The Chiefs mailed three jerseys to Montana . One was number 3 , his number from Notre Dame which the Chiefs had retired in honor of Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud who offered to let him wear it . Another was number 19 , which he wore in little league and also briefly in training camp of the 1979 season with San Francisco , and the third was number 16 , which Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson offered to let Montana wear since the organization had retired it . Montana declined Dawson ' s and Stenerud ' s offers and wore 19 instead and signed a $ 10 million contract over three years . Montana was injured for part of the 1993 season , but was still selected to his final Pro Bowl and led the Chiefs in two come - from - behind wins in the 1993 playoffs , reaching the where Kansas City lost to the Buffalo Bills . Including their two playoff victories that year ( the Chiefs only had one prior playoff win since 1970 Super Bowl IV ) , the 1993 Chiefs won 13 games , tying the franchise record for wins in a season . The Chiefs have not won a playoff game since the 1993 season . Montana returned healthy to the Chiefs in 1994 , starting all but two games . His highlights included a classic duel with John Elway ( which Montana won 31 - 28 ) on Monday Night Football , and a memorable game in week 2 when Montana played against his old team , the 49ers and Steve Young . In a much - anticipated match - up , Montana and the Chiefs prevailed and defeated the 49ers 24 – 17 . Montana led his team to , in 1994 . Retirement . On April 18 , 1995 , Montana announced his retirement before a huge crowd at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco . The event was broadcast live on local television , and included speeches from John Madden , Eddie DeBartolo , Jr , and others . Highlights from Montana ' s stay with San Francisco and interviews with former 49ers teammates were also shown . Bill Walsh served as the MC for the event . Montana ' s replacement with the Chiefs was his former backup in San Francisco , Steve Bono . NFL records and accomplishments . Among his career highlights , " The Catch " ( the game - winning touchdown pass vs . Dallas in the ) and a Super Bowl - winning 92 - yard drive vs . the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII are staples of NFL highlight films . For his career with the 49ers , Montana completed 2 , 929 of 4 , 600 passes for 35 , 142 yards with 244 touchdowns and 123 interceptions . He had 35 300 - yard passing games including 7 in which he threw for over 400 yards . His career totals : 3 , 409 completions on 5 , 391 attempts , 273 touchdowns , 139 interceptions , and 40 , 551 yards passing . He also rushed for 1 , 676 yards and 20 touchdowns . When Montana retired , his career passer rating was 92 . 3 , second only to his 49er successor Steve Young ( 96 . 8 ) . He has since been surpassed by five other players , which ranks his passer rating at 7th all - time . Montana also had won 100 games faster than any other quarterback until surpassed by Tom Brady in 2008 . His record as a starter was 117 - 47 . His number 16 was retired by the 49ers on December 15 , 1997 during halftime of the team ' s game against the Denver Broncos on " Monday Night Football " . Montana also held the record for most passing yards on a Monday night game with 458 against the Los Angeles Rams in 1989 ( surpassed by Tom Brady who accumulated 517 in 2011 ) . Montana holds postseason records for most career touchdown passes ( 45 ) , games with a passer rating over 100 . 0 ( 12 ) and is second in passing yards ( 5 , 772 ) and games with 300 + passing yards ( 6 , tied with Kurt Warner ) . He also tied Terry Bradshaw ' s record for consecutive playoff games with at least two touchdown passes ( 7 ) . In his four Super Bowls , Montana completed 83 of 122 passes for 1 , 142 yards and 11 touchdowns with no interceptions , earning him a passer rating of 127 . 8 . Montana led his team to victory in each game , and is the only player ever to win three Super Bowl MVP awards . Montana also holds the record for most Super Bowl pass completions ( 83 ) and pass attempts ( 122 ) without throwing an interception . He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times and selected All - Pro six times . He is also the only player to have two touchdown passes of 95 + yards . Career statistics . Key to Abbreviations GP = Games Played Att = Passes attempted Com = Passes Completed Pct = Completion percentage Yds = Yards TD = Touchdowns Int = Interception s Long = Longest Pass Play of season QB Rating = Passer rating W / L Record = Super Bowl / Postseason Won / Loss Record Nicknames . Montana is an Americanized form of the surname Montani , which comes from northern Italy . Montana earned the nickname " Joe Cool " for his ability to stay calm at key moments , and " Comeback Kid " for his history of rallying his teams from late - game deficits . His teammates in San Francisco called him " Bird Legs " due to his very thin legs and small calves . He was called " Golden Joe " because he played in California ( the Golden State ) , and also appeared on a poster superimposed in front of the Golden Gate Bridge with the wording " The Golden Great " . Two more names were provided by a " San Francisco Chronicle " nickname contest early in his NFL career : the winner was " Big Sky " , but another contestant suggested that since " Joe Montana " already sounded like a nickname , Montana needed a real name , and christened him " David W . Gibson . " Montana liked the Gibson name so much that he had it stenciled above his locker . Montana appears as the character " Joe Clifford " ( pseudonym derived from his first and middle names ) in the NFL Network ' s " Joe ' s Diner " television spots . Personal life . Montana has been married three times . His first wedding was in 1974 , when Montana married his hometown sweetheart , Kim Moses , during his second semester at Notre Dame ; however , they divorced less than three years later . Montana wed again in 1981 , to Cass Castillo ; they divorced in 1984 . He met Jennifer Wallace , an actress and model , while the two worked on a Schick commercial , and the two married in 1985 . He and Jennifer are still married and have four children : Alexandra Whitney ( b . 10 October 1985 ) , Elizabeth Jean ( b . 20 December 1986 ) , Nathaniel " Nate " Joseph ( b . 3 October 1989 ) , and Nicholas Alexander ( b . 28 April 1992 ) . Both of his sons played football for De La Salle High School ( Concord , CA ) and now play college football as quarterbacks . Nate for the University of Montana ( after transferring from Notre Dame ) , and Nicholas for Tulane University . In 2008 , Montana sued ex - wife Moses and a Dallas auction house for " violating his ' copyright and privacy rights ' " after Moses " sold a bunch of letters and memorabilia from [ Montana ' s ] college days at Notre Dame . " In 1986 , doctors diagnosed Montana as having a narrow spinal cavity . He elected to have an operation , which was successful , and was able to return to football and continue his career . Montana resides in San Francisco , California . He placed his $ 49 million , estate in Calistoga , California , on sale in 2009 , which was reduced to $ 35 million in January 2012 . He now owns horses and produces wine under the label Montagia . The town of Ismay , Montana , unofficially took the name of Joe , Montana , as a publicity stunt coordinated by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 .