NFL Hall of Famer Speaks at SMU Forum

By Robby Gillespie
rgillespie@smu.edu

Four-time Super Bowl champion and former NFL MVP Joe Montana was honored Wednesday at the SMU Athletic Forum in Dallas.

He spoke with the voice of the Dallas Cowboys Brad Sham in a Q & A format in front of a dining crowd of 500. Montana, nicknamed “Comeback Joe,” spoke of his most famous plays and games, including the play well known as “The Catch.” In the 1982 NFC Championship game, Montana completed an off balance touchdown pass to receiver Dwight Clark to beat the Dallas Cowboys and send the 49ers to Super Bowl XVI.

“When I let go, I thought it was an arms length above his head,” Montana said. “I got knocked down and heard the crowd and knew it was a touchdown.”

The SMU Athletic Forum has recognized former players such as Jerry Rice, Annika Sorenstam, and Charles Barkley. Montana, an NFL Hall of Famer, played football at Notre Dame with SMU’s Athletic Director Steve Orsini. His only other tie to Dallas is when he led the Fighting Irish to a 1978 Cotton Bowl win over the then top ranked Texas Longhorns (even though he was never named as Notre Dame’s starting QB).

Being at an SMU event, Montana was asked about this year’s Mustang team and what he thought about June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense, from the quarterback’s perspective.

“It’s a fun off to watch,” Montana said. “If you’re a wide receiver or a quarterback, you can’t ask for more fun than standing back there and throwing the ball, and you’ve got guys running everywhere, it looks like a fun thing to be associated with.”

Montana’s NFL career spanned 14 seasons and ended in Kansas City where he took a turned around Chiefs team to the AFC championship game.

He was known by all his teammates to be a “prankster.” When one of his 49er teammates soaked Montana’s street clothes in the shower, Montana placed a dead fish under the player’s car seat. His teammate eventually had to get a new car because the smell wouldn’t go away.

“I don’t get even, I get ahead,” Montana said.

In the locker room before a game, Montana leapt off of a stool and over right tackle Tyrese Barton, turned around, got in his face, and screamed, “Are you ready for some fooball!”