Legendary NFL quarterback and four-time Tremendous Bowl champ Joe Montana huddles with Publish columnist Steve Serby to speak about his storied profession and memorable NFL moments. His TV collection “Joe Montana: Cool Underneath Stress” is now streaming on Peacock.
Q: Who dubbed you Joe Cool?
A: They stored attempting to provide me nicknames eternally. I don’t know the way Joe Cool ended up being there. Some fan mentioned I didn’t want a nickname, I want an actual identify. He despatched me a placard within the mail … mentioned David W. Gibson (snicker). He simply made up an actual identify. He mentioned your identify is already a nickname with Montana being the final identify.
Q: However Joe Cool is an effective nickname.
A: Yeah, it’s higher than David W. Gibson (snicker).
Q: How would you describe your mentality on the sector?
A: In all probability just about like I'm proper right here. I attempted by no means to alter. I feel one of many issues I discovered is that, yeah there are occasions to be nervous, however in quite a lot of instances, the teammates are you on a regular basis consistently. And also you ship a message once you’re not the identical particular person. That’s why I mentioned it: “Have a look at John Sweet,” that’s why I’d make enjoyable of any individual within the huddle whether or not we’re profitable or dropping. … I simply tried to be myself, interval.
Q: Which one of many 4 was your sweetest Tremendous Bowl win?
A: All of them have been so totally different. The best way I have a look at it's the first one [XVI vs. the Bengals], like you may’t substitute the primary time you stroll onto a Tremendous Bowl discipline … that feeling of the yeas and the boos type of met on the 50-yard line. And the sport was shut, however it wasn’t one in every of our higher video games of the yr. The second we performed, mainly a house sport [Stanford Stadium] in opposition to the Dolphins and [Dan] Marino. That was a reasonably candy win for us. … If I needed to choose one, it’s most likely the one [Super Bowl XXIII rematch] in opposition to Cincinnati, once I throw a landing to win on the finish of the sport. As a quarterback, I did that a thousand instances rising up in my yard.
Q: That was the John Sweet sport.
A: Harris Barton was a folks particular person, and nonetheless is, I feel. Again then, once you go the Tremendous Bowl you get there per week early, we’d follow and conferences, and you then have been free for dinner. And we’d cone again for conferences post-dinner, Harris was like a bit child in a sweet store, telling you all of the celebrities he’d seen. TV timeouts take eternally within the Tremendous Bowl. And we have been simply standing there and I simply noticed, he was type of like framed between two guys’ shoulder pads. I simply didn’t keep in mind Harris saying that he noticed John Sweet through the week, so I pointed it out to him. He’s so uptight, he was like mumbling stuff to me (snicker) and I can’t even keep in mind what he was saying, one thing concerning the Tremendous Bowl, attempting to win, and also you’re folks. However he seemed over and noticed and he goes, “Yeah.” He appreciates right this moment, I feel, greater than he did again then.
Q: The place was Sweet?
A: He was standing on the sideline. I had met him quite a few years earlier than that. We had some non-public conferences ’trigger he was attempting to get me to go to Canada. … He owned the Argonauts for some time.
Q: Why was he on the visiting sideline?
A: I don’t know. I feel he simply had a discipline move.
Q: What was the important thing to being clutch for you?
A: It’s type of onerous to say … in some methods it’s simply preparation. I feel the easiest way to elucidate it's like, I speak to youngsters and I’d say it’s like getting in to take a take a look at, proper? Once you go to take a take a look at, you’re much more nervous when you already know you’re not ready. However if you happen to’ve accomplished all of the work and all that, it doesn’t actually matter. You’re assured getting in, and also you keep that method. It was fairly simple and I had fairly good groups. It makes your job a bit bit simpler (snicker).
Q: How did that ’86 Giants protection examine to the ’85 Bears protection?
A: General, the scheme and the gamers on the fronts, the defensive backs. … On the entire, I feel have been extra proficient than the Bears have been. The Bears had some nice gamers, don’t get me flawed. I simply assume which one don’t I wish to play? I remorse taking part in the Giants on a regular basis.
Q: Once you consider Lawrence Taylor, what do you consider?
A: Ache within the rear, ’trigger you may’t do something with him (snicker). He’s too large in your again, he’s too quick in your deal with. You nearly must bump him or double him, and also you attempt to run away from him, he runs the play down from behind. He was a kind of guys you simply needed to know the place he was.
Q: Describe the Jim Burt hit that knocked you out of the sport in a 49-3 loss to the Giants within the divisional spherical of the playoffs within the 1986 season.
A: It wasn’t a nasty hit, it was similar to my head hit the bottom, and that was it. I simply keep in mind having a ache in my head. I don’t keep in mind if I may see or not at first, however it wasn’t a nasty hit in any respect … that turf simply knocked me out.
Q: Describe he Leonard Marshall hit in a 15-13 NFC Championship sport loss after the 1990 season, which primarily ended your 49ers profession.
A: That doesn’t occur right this moment. I feel they need to return, simply hit the quarterback, simply don’t compress him within the floor. It wasn’t the hit … I'd have most likely gone off the sector for a play or so, however I'd have come again within the sport. It’s when he compressed me within the floor the place he obtained my chest and he broke my hand. We’re nonetheless within the air when he hit me, and as we’re going to the bottom, he compressed me into the bottom.
Q: How crushing was that loss? You have been going for a threepeat.
A: We had some good battles with them, and it was powerful sleddin’ because it was that day. … It was unhappy not to have the ability to go once more with that crew.
Q: What drove you?
A: Successful was what you count on, however the feeling of dropping is what I feel drives most gamers at that degree. Often, if you happen to’re dropping, the quarterback’s not taking part in properly in quite a lot of instances, so quite a lot of it went in your shoulders that facet of the ball too.
Q: Concern of failure?
A: Yeah.
Q: How usually over time have you ever watched “The Catch” by Dwight Clark within the 28-27 NFC Championship win over the Cowboys on the way in which to your first Tremendous Bowl?
A: Oh, you don’t have a alternative, you see it so many instances (chuckle), it’s on in all places you look. However I see it a bunch. Up till then, we had by no means actually thrown the ball on that play to Dwight. He’s mainly presupposed to set a choose on the within receiver, however the inside man, Freddie [Solomon] slips down, and when he lastly will get up, he’s coated. So I needed to await Dwight. The craziest factor was Invoice [Walsh, coach] had the instinct in coaching camp, he made us follow that. And, we each thought he was loopy, as a result of we’d by no means ever thrown the ball to Dwight in any respect (chuckle) till then. Little did we all know whereas we thought he was loopy how vital the play would turn into in 49er historical past.
Q: What amazes you most about Tom Brady?
A: That he’s nonetheless taking part in (snicker). He simply makes a crew higher, clearly, and he’s been so constant about the way in which he’s performed over time, I feel that’s probably the most spectacular factor about him.
Q: Are you able to think about the hype over a Brady-Invoice Belichick Tremendous Bowl?
A: (Snigger) Yeah, it’s been loopy. I obtained quite a lot of noise from saying that I believed [Mac Jones] match the 49er system. Not that I don’t assume Trey [Lance] is certified, I simply thought that the opposite man match what the 49ers do in a system.
Q: Is Eli Manning a Corridor of Famer?
A: I feel he will get in, for positive. … The issues that guys which might be in forward of him, he’s accomplished greater than most. I don’t see any purpose why he doesn’t get in.
Q: Ought to Phil Simms be in?
A: That’s one other baffling factor to me, and why he’s not in there. … The best way he performed the sport, and the success that he had. He was like [Marino] to me. Each guys, correct throwers down the sector particularly. I simply appreciated watching him play.
Q: What do you consider Justin Herbert.
A: Huge, sturdy, stands in there, he could make all of the throws.
Q: Josh Allen.
A: He’s obtained quite a lot of grit.
Q: Patrick Mahomes.
A: He’s enjoyable to look at. You see somebody like that come round each 40, 50 years (chuckle), no matter it is perhaps. However he’s fairly particular within the issues that he can do.
Q: What made Jerry Rice nice?
A: I can’t get a finger on it since you watch him and he doesn’t appear to be the quickest receiver. However the one factor he does, he’s very disciplined in his routes operating and he makes it simple for the quarterback. When you let him stand up on high of you, he’ll run proper by you and also you received’t catch him. He simply had a knack of getting behind folks. I at all times mentioned if I’m taking part in the 49ers, and my security, I'll inform him, “When you get beat deep by Jerry Rice on a submit, once you’re chasing him into the top zone, you simply hold operating, ’trigger you’re accomplished. Don’t let him get behind you. Go within the locker room, change garments and get out of right here.” I don’t know, he simply had this knack of getting behind folks it doesn't matter what. Despite the fact that they know what’s coming, he simply someway had that skill.
Q: How a lot stress or friction was there between you and Steve Younger?
A: Once you’re competing with somebody, it doesn’t matter who it's … it’s onerous sufficient getting your self prepared each week to attempt to assist put together any individual else on the identical time.
Q: What do you consider the roughing the passer rule these days?
A: The quarterback ought to be capable to take a success. The compression factor is the place they get harm. And the explanation we get compressed, we’re the one man getting hit standing nonetheless more often than not. By guys that outweigh you by 150 kilos or extra. In the event that they take that half away from it, similar to a traditional deal with, take that compression which they've clearly, that’s what separates the quarterbacks, is are you able to stand in there and throw figuring out you’re gonna get hit? Now that man can’t hit you, so it’s a bit bit totally different for them at that degree.
Q: When you may choose the mind of any quarterback in NFL historical past, who wouldn't it be?
A: Bart Starr’s most likely. I’d be curious to see what it was like taking part in for [Vince] Lombardi. And even Otto Graham, you return and have a look at the issues that he achieved, and watching what they went by again then was complete madness.
Q: Might you may have performed for Lombardi?
A: I hope so (snicker).
Q: Might you may have performed for Invoice Parcells?
A: (Snigger) You realize what’s so humorous, we've this dialog on a regular basis, he and I. He’s a kind of guys if you happen to may come again and play for any individual, you’d wish to play for. And [Simms] goes, “Oh no, no, no. You don’t know what you’re speaking about (snicker).” He goes, “I really like him to loss of life, however he was not simple to play for.” I don’t know, it could be enjoyable, I’m positive. He jogs my memory quite a lot of like Invoice Walsh in quite a lot of methods, ’trigger it appeared like he has that dry humorousness, and once you come off the sector such as you hear him saying one thing, as an alternative of yelling at you, it was like, “God, what the hell variety off move was that?” I threw an interception in the long run zone one sport, and this was the final time I went straight to Invoice, I used to return off the sector and go proper to Invoice first after which to the telephones. And he checked out me, and simply quietly mentioned: “What do you name that?” And I mentioned, “I feel they name that an interception, Coach.” And he mentioned, “Do me a favor, attempt to not let that occur once more, would ya (snicker).”
Q: How do you assume Simms would have accomplished taking part in for Invoice Walsh?
A: Invoice’s simple to play for. I feel the one factor you simply have to know what his offense was about, and what he was attempting to perform with it. From the start, after we began, we didn’t have a giant operating sport. We didn’t have Roger Craig or Wendell Tyler on the time. I simply noticed a stat and it’s superb to me, with Tom Brady, he has like over 200 passes which might be underneath 2.7 yards or one thing like that, and that’s by far like 50 greater than every other quarterback. All people used to say, “You’re dinking and dunking.” Nicely, we weren’t actually, we have been simply utilizing the passing sport as a operating sport. … After which the sport modified a bit bit when Mike Holmgren obtained there. He began pushing the ball down the sector a bit bit extra, however then we had John Taylor and Jerry Rice and Brent Jones, so it made a bit extra sense.
Q: Simms would have had success with Invoice Walsh.
A: Oh yeah, for positive.
Q: Describe the hen soup sport at Notre Dame, the 1979 Cotton Bowl in opposition to Houston once you have been the Comeback Child.
A: It was an unpleasant, ugly day. It’s most likely one of many coldest days I performed in. It was windy, it had a rainstorm after we obtained there, the sector was coated with ice, and so they had melted most of it, and there was a golf cart going backwards and forwards, I used to be attempting to determine what they have been doing. The items of ice they couldn’t get off the sector they have been throwing rock salt on it, and so (chuckle) simply tore you up by the top of the day. Solely two touchdowns have been scored in opposition to the wind, and one was a punt that was blocked and run again for a landing. I usually don’t go from the sector when it’s chilly proper to the warmers ’trigger you simply get colder once you get away from it, however it was so chilly, it was fourth down, I ran proper to the heater, backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. By halftime, after we went inside, my temperature had dropped, I obtained hypothermia in order that they stored me within the locker room — “OK, we've espresso, tea, we've beef bouillon and hen bouillon, what would you like?” I took hen (snicker). And that helped convey my temperature again up.
Q: What's your largest remorse?
A: I liked taking part in in Kansas Metropolis, nice group, nice nice followers … it’s simply I want I’d by no means needed to depart San Francisco. I by no means thought I'd, I believed I’d finish my profession there. You go searching, how does Jerry Rice go some other place, you already know (chuckle)? How do you let him go someplace? Ronnie [Lott] ended up some other place, and now guys are altering groups on a regular basis. Yeah, I simply want that I may have completed there.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: Once I was rising up, [Joe] Namath was taking part in and profitable. I grew up south of Pittsburgh, and watching the place [Terry] Bradshaw began and the place he ended up profitable 4 Tremendous Bowls and watching him take the Steelers to that, I seemed as much as them at the moment.
Q: You have been completely happy along with your “Cool Underneath Stress” docuseries?
A: It was enjoyable to do. Brings again good recollections and dangerous recollections (snicker), accidents and all these issues.
Q: What's the largest shock viewers may have?
A: Two surprises. My youngsters’ stuff, once they discuss a few of their recollections, and I feel the footage from once I was younger.
Q: Any large controversy?
A: Yeah, however I can’t inform ya (smile).
Q: What are you most happy with about your profession?
A: I don’t know … it’s simply that individuals consider you as a winner. I by no means actually have a look at it as that. I have a look at it, I at all times say taking part in a silly sport for thus a few years (chuckle), and if you are able to do something that you just love for an occupation, then folks perceive what it was about.
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