Sports and Health Insurance: Quarterback Joe Montana

A quarterback who took the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowls and championships during his fourteen years with that team. He would spend his last two years with the Kansas City Chiefs. Joe Montana is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks to have played the game. Twice, in the year 1989 and again in 1990 the Associated Press named him as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. And Sports Illustrated named him 1990’s Sportsman of the Year. He has sometimes been given the nickname “Joe Cool” or “Comeback Joe”. In the year 1986 he won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award. Montana was elected to a total of Eight Pro Bowls and was voted to the First Team ALL-Pro for the years 1987, 1989 and 1990. He had the highest passer rating in the NFC during the years 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1989. During the years of 1987 and 1989 he had the highest passer rating in the entire NFL. Joe Montana had a well-earned reputation for remaining calm under pressure. This talent was part of the reason he was able to lead his team to 31 come from behind victories in the fourth quarter. This includes the 1981 NFC championship game and also Super Bowl XX11.

All of his accomplishments during his career is what resulted in him being in the year 2000 to the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame. And the 49ers honored him by retired his number 16 jersey that he wore while playing for their team. He was also picked for a spot on the NFL’s 75 Anniversary team as well as the 1980’s All-Decade Team. Sport’s Illustrated ranked Joe Montana as third on the list of Football’s 100 Greatest Players. And ESPN picked him as the 25th greatest athlete of the 20th century.

While Joe Montana may have been able to prove that it is possible to work miracles and overcome all kinds of obstacles to win, that doesn’t always happen with health issues. No matter how smart or talented you are you can still be sidelined by some major medical emergency. That is why we all need the benefit of health insurance to protect us when those times come. And without it you have no real defense against those moments when illness tries to make a touchdown in your body. That will make having health insurance a winning game plan no matter who is playing.