As a sophomore in 1975, Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana became known as “The Comeback Kid” after rallying the Irish to victories from 14-0 and 30-10 fourth-quarter deficits at North Carolina and Air Force, respectively, in consecutive weeks.
His offspring, Nate Montana, will attempt a far more circuitous comeback route at Notre Dame as he enters his sophomore year of college. The younger Montana verified to different media outlets that he has enrolled at Pasadena (Calif.) City College this fall to better hone his skills — but plans to return next spring to Notre Dame to compete for the quarterback position.
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Montana hopes that a short stint at Pasadena City College will better prepare him to compete at quarterback at Notre Dame.
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“I just feel that one of the biggest differences between me and the other quarterbacks (at Notre Dame) is the amount of game experience that they have over me,” Montana told the South Bend Tribune.
This statement isn’t so much about Montana not playing as a college freshman — after all, neither did classmate Dayne Crist, and next year the Irish will add two more freshmen quarterbacks with Andrew Hendrix and Tommy Rees — but barely seeing action even in high school. After transferring from Cardinal Newman High in Santa Rosa, Calif, to superpower Concord (Calif.) De La Salle as a senior, Nate Montana played sparingly as the No. 3 quarterback.
Unlike his father, who was a highly-recruited high school quarterback and a Parade All-America pick, Nate had to take the walk-on route at Notre Dame. In the one full practice that was open to the media this spring, it was evident that Nate Montana needed much more instruction and drills to become a legitimate Division 1-A quarterback prospect. In a chat with ESPN.com’s Ivan Maisel, who was granted full access by Charlie Weis to a few staff meetings and practices this spring, Joe Montana shared similar sentiments.
“I don't like the way he's throwing," he told Maisel. "I'm going to stay after practice with him.”
During his days at Notre Dame, the elder Montana was known as a poor practice player — an assumption that then Irish head coach Dan Devine (1975-80) vehemently disputed. Consequently, many longtime Irish followers probably made immediate comparisons between Nate and his father at this spring’s Blue-Gold Game when Nate excelled once the spotlight was on him.
In the relatively lackluster affair, Montana became a top game note when both of his pass attempts (reserves vs. reserves) were well-placed ropes that picked up 17 and 34 yards on completions to Deion Walker and Mike Ragone, respectively. Like father, like son?
“It was good for him to get those under his belt,” said a beaming Weis of Montana after the game. “There’s a lot of pressure being a legacy.”
However, there was a reason why wide receiver John Goodman received reps as a potential quarterback option this spring, and there was a reason why Evan Sharpley — despite not practicing in the spring while playing baseball — was welcomed back for a fifth season this fall. The Irish needed some proven insurance at quarterback in case either Jimmy Clausen or Crist were to get injured, and there was uncertainty whether Montana would be primed for such a role.
We all should know by now the story about how Joe Montana was the seventh-team quarterback at Notre Dame as a 1974 freshman. (For the record, those ahead of him were senior starter Tom Clements, Frank Allocco, Rick Slager, Kerry Moriarty, Gary Forystek and Mike Falash.) In fact, on the junior varsity team comprised mainly of freshmen and sophomores, Montana was the fourth team QB and completed only one of his six pass attempts (just think how Internet message board pundits might have opined then what a wasted scholarship this Montana kid was).
But in the spring of his freshman year, Montana flourished, and when senior Allocco was slowed by a shoulder injury, Montana moved up to No. 2 by the start of the season, behind Slager. There was not going to be such a meteoric ascent this fall with Nate Montana.
On the surface, Montana working on his game at a junior college doesn’t seem like a bad idea, but he will have to compete for a starting position there as well. The question is whether the benefits of potential playing time outweigh the drawbacks of not continuing to grow within the current system at Notre Dame.
One other factor to consider is if by chance Clausen does throw his hat into the NFL ring next spring, Cryst could be the lone scholarship quarterback on the spring roster. If Montana’s game is nurtured and honed in the junior college ranks, he will have a chance to be better prepared to take on a role as a backup next spring.
Only time will eventually provide the answers whether he too will be a “Comeback Kid.”
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