Sports
Intro to the U.S.
Football
American football is a distinct type of football that developed in the United States in the 19th century from soccer and rugby. Football is played by school, college and professional teams and is one of the most popular American sports, attracting thousands of participants and millions of spectators annually. American football was made popular by teams representing colleges and universities. Even today, despite greatly increased interest in professional football, college football games, played by more than 600 teams, are attended by more than 35 million spectators each year.
The NFL is big business for players, owners, advertisers, and other industries tied to the sport. In addition to promoting civic pride and national exposure, NFL franchises generate huge revenues for host cities. Cities often compete for teams, offering prospective teams bigger and better stadiums, guaranteed fan support, and various economic incentives. The Super Bowl is the final contest of the NFL's season and determines the league's annual champion. The National Football League now has a European "conference," with German teams in Berlin, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt.
Abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials.
Joe Montana - One of Football's Greatest
Joe Montana, selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1979 National Football League Draft, had a stellar career with the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. A master of late-game comebacks, Montana directed his teams to 31 fourth quarter come-from-behind wins during his illustrious career, including a 92-yard drive in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XXIII.
His uncanny ability to bring a team back from apparent defeat was so common that it simply became referred to as “Montana Magic.” A true student of the game, Montana won the NFL’s passing title in both 1987 and 1989. He topped the NFC in passing five times (1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1989).
Thirty-nine times he passed for more than 300 yards in a game, including seven times in which he surpassed 400 yards. His six 300-yard passing performances in the post-season are an NFL record. He also owns the career playoff record for attempts, completions, touchdowns, and yards gained passing.
Eleven times the New Eagle, Pennsylvania native led his team to the playoffs. Along the way, he captured nine divisional championships and victories in Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV. His outstanding play in Super Bowls XVI, XIX, and XXIV earned him Most Valuable Player honors in each game.
Named All-NFL three times and All-NFC on five occasions, Montana was voted to the Pro Bowl eight times, which was a league record for a quarterback at the time. In 1992, after missing 31 consecutive games due to an injury to his throwing arm, Montana made a dramatic comeback. In the second half of the regular season finale, a Monday Night Football offering vs. the Detroit Lions, Montana performed his magic of old, completing 15 of 21 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns as the 49ers defeated the Lions 24-6.
In 1994 Montana became just the fifth quarterback to pass for more than 40,000 yards in a career. At the time of his retirement, he ranked fourth in career passing yardage (40,551 yards), attempts (5,391), and passing touchdowns (273). His 3,409 completions ranked third all-time, and his career passer rating of 92.3 was second all-time.
(Source: the NFL's website)
Learn More about Joe Montana
Championship Games >> (games)
Career Highlights >> (highlights)
Statistics >> (statistics)