While the National Football League has been around for less than a hundred years, it has quickly become the most-watched sport in America. As families all across the country tune in on Sundays to watch professional athletes compete on a grand scale, one man stands out from all the others on the field: the quarterback.
He is the leader, the most pivotal player, and often times under the most pressure. Out of any that have ever played the position, only one holds the title of being the greatest, and it is not Tom Brady. Joe Montana has stood in memoriam as the most prolific man to ever throw the football, and here is why.
Joe Montana is the reason that the nickname "Joe Cool" exists. Many boys grow up dreaming of playing in the NFL only to lose that dream some time in high school. Joe Montana made NFL players dream of being in his league for fourteen years that he led San Francisco 49ers.
Joe Montana does not have the most passing yards of all time, nor does he have the most passing touchdowns of all time, but he possessed an unmatched ability to win. He played at a time when defenses were helmed by formidable opponents such as Lawrence Taylor and Mike Singletary and still won four Super Bowls.
While his four Super Bowl victories come in just shy of Tom Brady's five, Joe Montana has never lost one. Tom Brady just lost to back up quarterback Nick Foles, his third Super Bowl defeat. In his five Super Bowl victories, Tom Brady has beaten Jack Delhomme, Kurt Warner, Donovan McNabb, Russell Wilson, and Matt Ryan. Kurt Warner is the only Hall of Famer out of those quarterbacks, and out of the two that still play, neither are close to being definite locks for an induction.
Two of Montana's victories came against Dan Marino and John Elway, both being Hall of Fame players and two of the best to play the quarterback position. In those two games, Montana outscored his opponents 93-26 combined, winning Most Valuable Player in both games.
While his dominance in the "Big Game" is much to be reckoned with, Joe Montana's ability to shine under pressure is what makes him so special. From '88-'89, Montana passed for 19 touchdowns and only one interception in the playoffs during a two-year stretch that saw the 49ers win the Lombardi trophy in back to back seasons. Playing against timeless defenses and competing with quarterbacks still talked about today, Joe Montana looked like a man all on his own.
In four seasons from 1987-1990, Montana was a three-time Pro Bowler, three-time First Team All-Pro, two time MVP, two time AP Athlete of the Year, two-time passer rating leader, led in passing touchdowns in '87, and was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in '89.
He holds the record for the most postseason games with a passer rating over 100.0, and never threw a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana was able to play in the postseason like nothing was on the line, and beat opponents that hold records of their own.
While Tom Brady has the most wins, and more passing yards and passing touchdowns, Joe Montana is the closest thing to perfect than fans have ever seen. Greatness is not just a title. It isn't won by sheer volume or by being in the right system. Greatness is achieved by being as unblemished as possible in the most daunting circumstances, which is why Joe Montana will forever be the greatest quarterback of all time.
