When Joe Montana wasn't a big star.

Joe Montana 

A story about Joe Montana and the 49ers. I don't remember the exact year but there was a card show at the Cow Palace in Daily City but it's billed as the San Francisco Cow Palace. The card show had Joe Montana signed to do autographs and I was not about to miss this. To have Joe autograph a picture was a chance in a life time. the surprising thing was that he was not as popular as I thought he was at that time. We were told that he would not be personalizing anything autographed, this was to speed up the expected long line. Well the surprise was there was about 25 people in front of me when I got into line and only about 10 behind me. I don't know about anyone else but I was shocked, here was the greatest quarter back San Francisco has ever seen and only 25 people standing in line in front of me. Well any way we went through and got our autographs and when everyone had gone through the line they made an announcement that if we wanted to get in line again he would personalize his autograph. So I got back in line and had him add, "To Dave" on my picture and for my mom I had him sign it "Get Well Anna" because mom was in the hospital. Joe was very polite and accommodating and a very friendly person. Later I would get a autographed football card of Joe's. Then in 1991 I got the opportunity to meet Joe's wife Jennifer and that year they made sports cards of some of the football players wives. In my meeting of Jennifer I was able to get her to sign her card and I put hers and Joe's card in an acrylic holder that holds two cards side by side.

Mom knew I was going to the Cow Palace to see Joe and she understood and didn't mind me not coming up to the hospital to see her that day. Besides she was getting an autographed picture of her favorite quarterback and the main reason she started watching football. Mom never watched football until Joe started playing for the 49ers and she really liked Joe, so every Sunday there she was sitting in front of the TV watching the niners win or lose. It is sad to think that the day that the 49ers won the XXIX Superbowl on Jan. 29 1995, mom was lying in the hospital in a coma. She was looking forward to watching the game in the hospital but that morning she had a stroke and went into a coma. John and I were going to have a little party at his house to watch the game but that never happened. We did manage to watch the game at the hospital while spending time with mom. I like to think that she was listening along with us and enjoying the win as much as we did. They say people in comas can hear and feel.

The Catch

Living in Mountain View which is close to San Francisco and very close to Santa Clara which is where the 49ers practice field is now, we get a lot of opportunities for autographs. Some of the 49ers I have are, Dwight Clarke, the other half of "The Catch" I'm sure there are some who remember that from the 49er/Dallas game in 1981. Also I have Roger Craig, running back, Tom Rathman, fullback, Ronnie Lott, defensive back, Steve Bono, quarterback, Jerry Rice, wide receiver, Merton Hanks, defensive back, Brent Jones, tight end, Jamie Williams, tight end, Eric Davis, defensive back, Bill Romanowski, linebacker,Mike Walter line backer, Jim Johnson, safety and wide receiver, Dana Hall, safety, and Bryant Young, defensive tackle.


Another story I'll relate later is telling you more about the other autographs I have, over 100.