Joe Montana in NFL History
Joe Montana (1956–) was one of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League, lifting his San Francisco 49ers from a tradition of mediocrity to become the League's dominant dynasty of the 1980s. Montana led the 49ers to four Super Bowl titles, winning an unprecedented three Super Bowl MVP awards. Montana won election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Over the course of his long career, Montana led his teams to come-from-behind fourth quarter victories on 31 separate occasions. His composure and clutch performance in these pressure-packed late-game situations earned him the nickname "Joe Cool."
Montana's greatest comeback came in 1990's Super Bowl XXIII, a 20–16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. With just over three minutes left in the game, trailing by three points, Montana led his teammates out for one final drive—a drive that began in the shadow of their own end zone at the 8 yard line. Calm and collected, Montana completed eight-of-nine passes while marching the 49ers 92 yards down the field for the game-winning touchdown, which came on a picture-perfect pass to John Taylor with just 34 seconds remaining on the clock.