Notre Dame’s Cool Joe: Part III

The University of Notre Dame sat quarterback Joe Montana for the entirety of his freshman season. While he was a sophomore he was finally able to prove himself on the field, coming off the bench to win three games for the Fighting Irish. In dramatic fashion, Joe Montana entered a game versus Navy, with the Irish down 30-10 with just 13 minutes remaining in the game. Cool Joe was able to put together three touchdown scoring drives to win the day 31-30. He also had a two-touchdown comeback earlier in the year against North Carolina. Both of these games Joe Montana stepped into a game with Notre Dame down and the time running out.

Montana’s fame as a great clutch QB was just beginning to blossom, when suddenly injury struck. A broken finger sidelined Joe for most of his sophomore year, and a shoulder injury kept him from playing his junior year. When he returned to action he was the starting QB, but his legend was still in its infancy. It wouldn’t be until a game in 1977 against Purdue that Joe Montana earned the nickname “The Comeback Kid.”

While you await the next installment of the Joe Montana series, check out StubHub.com for Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets for a future game that does not involve Joe Montana. It might, however, involve Montana’s daughters, who both attend the University of Notre Dame, and might well be attending home games next season.

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