Another Generation of Montanas Trying To Blaze Their Own Trail

Throughout the 1980's, Joe Montana was possibly the most recognizable man in the NFL, if not all of sports. His calm demeanor and ability to perform under pressure, not to mention all the Super Bowl victories and MVP honors, made him the poster child of athletic accomplishment in America.

Those accomplishments as the most respected quarterback in football during his prime have given Montana legendary status in the sports world, giving his successors with the San Francisco 49ers one tough act to follow.

Imagine trying to carry that torch throughout life as his son.

Yesterday, San Jose Mercury News college sports beat writer Jon Wilner had a link in his blog to a brief ESPN.com story highlighting the performance of Nick Montana, the youngest son of the four-time Super Bowl champion Joe and his wife Jennifer, at a recent training camp for high school football prospects.

Nick is currently the signal-caller at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Calif., where a few of his teamates also have noteworthy fathers, including Trevor Gretzky (son of Wayne) and Trey Smith (son of movie star Will). In his junior season, the 6'1", 185-pound Nick threw for over 2500 yards while leading Oaks Christian to a California Interscholastic Federation sectional title.

ESPN.com's review of the EA Sports Elite 11 Regional Camp at Berkeley, Calif. had Nick as the top rated quarterback prospect in the camp, which included over 60 kids from as far away as Iowa and Virginia.

Noting that he is one of the most sought after high school quaterbacks in the country, ESPN.com offered this analysis:

"Montana has a great frame, was solid on his drops, had a quick release and was spinning it very well. He plays with a swagger and has excellent leadership skills..."

Sounds like a chip off the ol' Joe Cool block.

College recruiting site Scout.com seems just as impressed as ESPN, already bestowing a four-star rating on Nick before the end of his junior year in high school. 

"His arm strength is solid. He's got good touch on his throws, and he managed the offense well. Throws a nice deep ball," notes Scout.com's Brandon Huffman, before adding the obvious. "Has good bloodlines too."

Despite the rave reviews, Nick seemed more focused on the portions of his game that need tweaking, rating his day in Berkeley as just "average."

"I wasn't as consistent as I wanted to be and my mechanics were messed up a little," he told ESPN. "I threw some good balls but I'm usually a lot more accurate."

Self-criticisms aside, Nick has a notable list of suitors at the next level, and appears to be keeping his options open and not limited to a single geographic region. Scout lists Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Stanford, Washington, and dad's alma mater, Notre Dame, as the schools currently under his consideration.

If he's to willing to take additional weight on his shoulders by following in Joe's footsteps at Notre Dame, Nick will have familiar company there, as his older brother is a preferred walk-on with the Fighting Irish, also at the quarterback position.

Nathan Montana didn't see the kind of success Nick has so far in high school, serving mainly in spot duty as the third-stringer at national powerhouse De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. But he too benefited from not only the stellar bloodlines, but the tutelage of Steve Clarkson, a former San Jose State and CFL quaterback that has made his career coaching prospects as young as elementary-school age.

The Hall of Famer Montana has been noted on many occasions saying he wouldn't push his sons to football, knowing the immense pressure there would be to live up to the name before even taking a snap. But now that they have taken to the gridiron, Joe is taking all the necessary steps to ensure their success by seeking the guidance of other quarterbacking gurus, rather than assuming his mentorship is all they will need.

Clarkson's camps have produced nearly 20 NFL quaterbacks and numerous collegiates, including Matt Leinart, Ben Rothlisberger, and current Notre Dame passer Jimmy Clausen, who also attended Oaks Christian High School, and now Clarkson's colaborating with Debartolo University, an amateur sports company founded by the prolific former 49ers owner.

In a day and age in which simply having natural talent and instinct won't take you nearly as far as it did in the elder Montana's day, it's obvious that Joe, who is now serving on the coaching staff for Nick's high school team, is willing to give his sons ample opportunity to chase his old accomplishments.

Montana's son is just one in a long list of legendary sports figures whose sons have tried to pursue dad's craft, including NFL quaterbacking father-son tandem Bob and Brian Griese, and Michael Jordan's son Marcus, who recently accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Central Florida.

And while Nick looks to be well on the right track, it's important to keep in mind that high school performances and high recruiting service grades are no guarantee that a kid will pan out at the collegiate level, much less find stardom at the NFL level.

Numerous five-star recruits have fizzled out of the collegiate rankings before exhausting their eligibility, while the recruiting services completely missed the mark on current NFL superstars such as 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (rated two stars by Scout coming out of high school), or former collegiate All-Americans such as new 49er receiver Michael Crabtree (three stars coming out of high school).

But it doesn't hurt to imagine a second coming of the man considered by many to be the greatest ever, especially for long-time 49er fans stuck in the stands wondering if there is a quarterback on its roster that is able to lead the team for an entire season.