Joe Montana

Led the Irish to last-minute victories in 1975 vs North Carolina and Air Force, Purdue and Clemson in 1977, and Houston in the 1979 Cotton Bowl, the latter being regarded as the greatest comeback in Notre Dame history. Staged a furious fourth-quarter rally vs USC in 1978, only to see the Trojans pull out a last-second win themselves in a game Coach John Robinson says he still has nightmares about.

Suffered a separated shoulder in the last pre-season scrimmage in 1976 and sat out the entire season.

Was ready to quit on the spot in the 1977 Purdue game when head coach Dan Devine sent Rusty Lisch in to replace the injured Gary Forystek. With the Irish still trailing 24-14 late in the 3rd, Devine replaced Lisch with Montana, the third-string quarterback. He engineered a 31-24 victory, and remained the starting QB for the rest of his Notre Dame career.

Quarterbacked Notre Dame to a National Championship in 1977.

The 49ers picked Montana in the third-round, acquired from Dallas, in the 1979 draft.

Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers (1979-1992) and Kansas City Chiefs (1993-1994).

Oliver Stone named the main character (Tony Montana) in his 1983 movie Scarface (1983) after Montana.

Met Jennifer Montana when they did a Schick razor commercial. He proposed by hiring an airplane with a streamer reading "Jen, will you marry me?" Children: Alexandra Whitney (b. 10 October 1985), Elizabeth Jean (b. 20 December 1986), Nathaniel Joseph (b. 3 October 1989), and Nicholas Alexander (b. 28 April 1992).

Sent a telegram to Irish quarterback Rick Mirer before Mirer's debut as a starter in the 1990 season opener reminding him to "take care of my number" (Mirer also wore #3 while at Notre Dame).

California Supreme Court rejected his appeal to reverse an earlier Santa Clara County Superior Court ruling stating the San Jose Mercury News had the right to sell posters showing Montana in the Super Bowl. The Court ordered Montana to pay the Mercury News over $20,000 in lawyer fees and court costs, and awarded the paper additional fees for defending the appeal. [17 August 1995]

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Lives on a 600-acre estate in Calistoga in Northern California's Napa Valley district where he enjoys cultivating grapes for wine-making. [2007]