Joe Montana, the legendary 49ers QB and one of the greatest to ever play the game, was also maybe just a little bit mischievous. That's because, apparently, between touchdown passes, Montana would use the sideline phones not to talk to his offensive coordinator but to call his wife in the middle of the game.
Dial 9 For an Outside Line
In a recent Instagram post by the NFL, Montana revealed it all — and his wife, Jennifer, corroborated his account. Montana looks back on those moments with fondness and a sense of humor. He recounts how he discovered he could make outside calls from the sidelines.
"I don't know what made me do it, but one day I hung up and I'm sitting there going, 'Hmm, I wonder if these things call out?' So I pick up the phone, and I hit — what do you do normally? You hit 9, right? It gives you an outside line. I hit 9, got a dial tone."
Montana, laughing as he tells all, would call his house and his wife just to say, "I love you." He also told her:
"I'm on the sideline phone. I found out that it calls, so I thought I'd give you a call since I'm just sitting here waiting to go on the field."
Apparently, according to Jennifer, the 49er legend would attempt this in every stadium he played in just to see if it would work.
George Gojkovich via Getty Images
Despite his mischievous sideline phone calls during games, Montana remains one of the most respected quarterbacks in NFL history. Montana led the San Fransisco 49ers to four Super Bowl championships, earning the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award three times.
Montana's ability to make clutch plays in important moments earned him the nickname "Joe Cool," and his legacy as one of the all-time greats of the game is secure. But his sideline phone calls during games add a fun and unexpected dimension to his impressive career.
