Joe Montana will always be everyone's favorite in America's favorite sport. Montana is one of those rare athletes who achieves instant recognition at the mention of his name. He is the most accomplished and honored player in the history of football. A victory in each of the four Super Bowls he played. Three-time Super Bowl MVP and two NFL MVP awards. His legend is golden.
More than anything else, Montana's on field heroics put him in a zone all his own; an unfailing ability to rise to the occasion and inspire his teammates to do the same. Forget the deadly accuracy of his passes, the best touchdown to interception ratio in football history and other Montana trademarks that can be attributed to more athletic brilliance. Leadership, heart, grit, magic, miracles. These are the things we came to expect from Montana with his hands on the ball and the game on the line. He made a career of delivering in the clutch.
Not surprisingly, Montana brings the same brand of intense commitment and quiet enthusiasm to his responsibilities as a father of four, a husband to Jennifer and a true All-American. Active in such charitable organizations as the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Society for Crippled Children, Montana is grateful for the opportunity to give of his time and resources.
But do not think Montana's ready to be put away atop a pedestal. He is still very much a personal hero to millions: the quintessential nice guy, decent, unflappable and eminently trustworthy. He is a man of accomplishment with the qualities your average Joe likes to see in himself.