Joe Montana: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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Joe Montana, center, with former 49ers teammates John Taylor and Lawrence Pillers. (Getty)

San Francisco 49ers legend and four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Montana will do the coin toss before Super Bowl 50 on Sunday.

Montana, 59, will be joined by other Bay Area superstars, including Marcus Allen, Fred Biletnikoff, Jim Plunkett, Jerry Rice and Steve Young, CBS Sports says.

The Pennsylvania native played in the NFL from 1979 to 1994, winning three Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards and two NFL MVPs. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Denver Broncos will face the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS. You can watch Montana flip the coin and the entire game live, for free, online.

Here’s what you need to know:


1. Montana Was a High School All-American & He Won a National Championship at Notre Dame

Montana on the sidelines of a Notre Dame football game. (Getty)

Montana on the sidelines of a Notre Dame football game. (Getty)

Montana played high school football at Ringgold High School in Pennsylvania, where he was an All-American. He then played at Notre Dame, where he led the Fighting Irish to the 1977 National Championship, beating Texas 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl.

The next season, Montana played in one of the most memorable games of his career, nicknamed the Chicken Soup Game. Montana’s body temperature dropped to 96 degrees and he had to fight off hypothermia during the Cotton Bowl against Houston. After halftime he stayed in the locker room, where he was given an IV, covered in blankets and fed chicken soup. He returned in the third quarter with the Irish trailing 34-12, and led Notre Dame to three touchdowns in the game’s final eight minutes to lead his team to a stunning 35-34 victory.

Montana was drafted in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.


2. The Hall of Famer Has Been Called the Most Clutch Quarterback of All-Time

Montana’s clutch quarterback play continued into his NFL career. “Joe Cool’s” accomplishments led Sports Illustrated to call him the most clutch quarterback of all-time.

He spent 15 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the 49ers, and also briefly for the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished his career with 40,551 passing yards, a 93.3 career passer rating and 273 touchdown passes, according to the Hall of Fame’s website. He led the NFC in passing five times.


3. He Recently Talked About the Physical Problems His Football Career Caused

Montana playing against the Saints in 1987. (Getty)

Montana playing against the Saints in 1987. (Getty)

Montana, 59, recently talked to USA Today about the health impact of his football career.

“The mental part was hard initially when I first retired,” Montana said. “Because it’s quick – cold turkey, the game’s gone. Then the physical stuff tries to catch up with you.”

Montana said he’s dealt with arthritis in his hands, elbows and knees.

“My hands have been, oh my gosh, in the middle of the night they hurt like crazy,” Montana said, “They kept saying I’ll need a knee replacement when I can’t walk. I can’t really run or do much with it.”

He has also had recent elbow surgery and three neck fusions. And he has nerve damage in one of his eyes.

“It acts like a lazy eye to some degree because every time you’re tired, it kind of goes wherever it feels like a little bit,” he said, adding that a doctor said it likely came from head trauma. “Not dramatic but just enough where you can’t read or you have to refocus.”


4. Montana Is Married & Has 4 Children

Joe Montana with his wife, Jennifer Montana. (Getty)

Joe Montana with his wife, Jennifer Montana. (Getty)

Montana has been married three times. He married his high school sweetheart Kim Moses in 1974, while at Notre Dame, and they divorced three years later. He then was married again in 1981 to Cass Castillo and they divorced in 1984. He has been married to actress and model Jennifer Wallace Montana since 1985.

The Montanas have four children, Alexandra, 30; Elizabeth, 29; Nate, 26; and Nick, 23.

Nate Montana played quarterback at Notre Dame, the University of Montana and West Virginia Wesleyan. Nick Montana played at Tulane University and the University of Washington.


5. He Lives in San Francisco & Has an Estimated Net Worth of $80 Million

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Montana in December 2015. (Getty)

Montana and his wife live in a $2.275 million home in San Francisco’s Marina District, which they bought last year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

They also own a 500-acre estate in Calistoga, California, that was listed in 2011 for $35 million. It includes a 9,700-square-foot main house, an equestrian center, vineyards and an olive farm. The Montanas sold a condo in downtown San Francisco to Giants outfielder Hunter Pence for $1.65 million in January 2014.

Since retiring from the NFL, Montana has owned horses and a wine company, Montagia. He has also appeared in several commercials.

Montana has an estimated net worth of $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.