Joseph Clifford Montana, Jr., (born June 11, 1956 in the "pocket suburb" of Monongahela, New Eagle, Pennsylvania) was widely considered one of the best football quarterbacks in football history National League. The hills of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia around the Monongahela River drainage basin are famous in sports circles (especially scouting) for the number of college and pro-NFL caliber players produced in the greater region, and Montana is perhaps the 'archetype in this sense. He is of Italian descent and grew up to maturity in the tough steel town of Monongehela at a time when failing rust belt industries were creating hard times for the local economy. He led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowls (1981 season, 1984 season, 1988 season, 1989 season) and became the only player to win three Super Bowl MVP awards. He was also the first player in league history to win two Associated Press MVP awards, as he did for the 1989 and 1990 seasons. In 1990, he received Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award, and is was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. His nickname, Joe Cool, was given to him for his ability to come up big when his team needed him. High School Years Montana attended Ringgold Area High School in Monongehela and was a standout in football, basketball and baseball. In football, he was a two-year starter and earned Parade All-American honors as a senior. In basketball, he led his team to the championship as a senior. He also served as vice president of his senior class. Professional football careerSan Francisco 49ersMontana was drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers in 1979 out of Notre Dame. He was selected after leading the Notre Dame team to defeat the Houston Cougars in the 1979 Cotton Bowl. This came after Montana led the Irish to the 1977 college football national championship that ended with a victory over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl of 1978. Injured after being hit by Leonard Marshall during the NFC Championship Game in January 1991, Montana missed all of the 1991 season and much of the 1992 season with an elbow injury (he eventually appeared in a Monday Night Football game against the Detroit Lions of the '92 season and was very effective). However, at this point, teammate Steve Young replaced him as the starting quarterback.