- 5 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00that's a great shot that's such like quintessential Joe feeling the grass down there you know huddled
00:22up that's beautiful in the 80s no one played like the 49ers no one looked like them either we got to see
00:35them at their most heroic and at their most vulnerable as Bill Walsh was turning football
00:44into an art form team photographer Michael Zagaris was making art out of the 49ers the Niners were true
00:54stars in the 80s everything was important every moment and you want to have it all there for
01:03posterity when I was talking to coach about total access I said I want to photograph the TV like a
01:12presidential photographer captures the presidency well you shoot everything look at this conference
01:19between Bill Walsh and Joe Montana the Z-Man was everywhere this is your life on the sideline
01:30he had cameras hanging off of him and I would push all the buttons hit the automatic things and it would
01:34take maybe 30 blank frames Z-Man's archive is iconic it's an inside look at the rise of the 49ers
01:44Ronnie Steve Jerry and Joe and their legendary head coach Bill Walsh
01:54this was when we arrived in Detroit the week before Super Bowl 16
02:03out of the corner of your eye you see these guys that are struggling
02:10some guys trying to grab their bag and they go let go come on damn it
02:15he was trying to grab my bag and yanking it off my shoulder and I didn't see it was him
02:26I turned and looked and I go oh I guess you want to tip I don't have any money though
02:32HBO 49ers he's trying to lighten up the situation that 81 team had had some relatively
02:42unprecedented success had a lot of attention to it you know you're at the Super Bowl there's media
02:49there's flash bulbs going on it was a big spot you can have fun prior to the contest is softball do it
02:55but we better get pretty serious pretty fast good afternoon everybody welcome to Super Bowl 16
03:04the Bengals and the 49ers and how is the weather outside this beautiful arena it has been cold
03:11that morning we're sitting in traffic and we're dead stopped
03:17you can see the stadium but we have moved in 10-15 minutes
03:24and Bill could feel the tension going because this was it
03:30and I wanted to break the ice and there was just a song by Kenny Loggins the words just kind of fit
03:41where we were going and what we were doing and Bill said go ahead and so I just played it
03:45the NFC champions San Francisco 49ers
03:54this is it
03:56the winning is up and low
03:59Walsh was once judged not competent enough to coach the Cincinnati Bengals
04:03and that gives Sunday's game the kind of Phillip that has sportswriters smacking their lips
04:07from the time we beat Dallas it became Bill Walsh getting revenge on Paul Brown's not hiring him
04:13and head coach
04:20here's the handoff going to pass
04:22reversing it off to Solomon
04:24flips it back to Montana
04:26this is it
04:28throwing the pass 25 yards
04:30and probably 33 yards by that time by Charlie Young
04:33a beautifully deceptive play
04:35this is it
04:37that was a Paul Brown play
04:40the message was remember me
04:42I was there when we used to do this
04:44Paul Brown was determined the Bengals would win
04:47and he wasn't afraid to employ the unorthodox in order to achieve it
04:52and Bill Walsh goes to his trick bag for that one
04:55it was a flea flicker
04:57Montana threw the pass down to Charlie Young and he went up in a crowd
05:00over the years Pat they've always talked about teams in Super Bowl
05:04how they get conservative
05:05but look at the things they're trying to do
05:07boom they're going deep
05:08this is a football of the 80s
05:12the throw to Cooper
05:14and Cooper scores for San Francisco
05:18Bengals really need a touchdown right here
05:21and they'll be right back in this football game
05:23first and goal at the three
05:25the way that we went about
05:27fighting for inches
05:30yeah that's
05:32that's legendary
05:33first it goes in motion to the far side
05:36and off
05:37he rams down to the one yard line
05:42he's hit the goal line and does not get in
05:46here's Anderson with the ball
05:47he's looking for a pass
05:48throws in
05:49it's cut by Alexander
05:50but he's hit by Puffles
05:51at the one yard line
05:52he didn't get in
05:54this is when you talk about perfection
05:56if Kenny Anderson throws the ball
05:58Tovich is in front of the numbers
05:59he goes in and scores
06:01throws a little behind him
06:03and here are the Bengals now
06:05as Kenny Anderson is ready
06:07calling signals on fourth down
06:08has the ball
06:09has it off
06:10he's hit at the goal line
06:11I don't believe he got in
06:12I don't believe he's in there
06:13the 49ers have killed
06:15and this is the Niners crowd across the way
06:17and the Niners have taken over
06:19to win
06:24was amazing
06:26it was amazing
06:29the net on the dirt
06:30is San Francisco
06:31Renetti Di Bartolo
06:32they are the world champions
06:34of San Francisco 49ers
06:41no walls
06:42you're on the shoulders
06:43alright
06:44that's the greatest feeling in the world
06:46that's what it's all about
06:47for this team
06:49for this coach
06:50for this owner
06:51for this town
06:52they'll never forget this day
06:58my dad could have easily
06:59retired
07:00after that first Super Bowl
07:01beating the Bengals
07:02and his life would have been
07:03complete
07:04and if you ever look at anything
07:06publicly my father said
07:07about Paul Brown
07:08it was all praise
07:09most people knew what had happened
07:11he wasn't going to air dirty laundry
07:12he was going to let his accomplishments
07:14now speak for themselves
07:16I don't think anybody that year
07:19expected the team to gel so quickly
07:21and it was something that
07:22even though it happened after five years
07:24and that is quick in the NFL
07:26it was just a great great thrill
07:28you're the world champ
07:29you are
07:30you are
07:31you're the world champ
07:33woo
07:34when we were at home games
07:36Mr. Di Bartolo's box
07:38had the best cheeseburgers
07:40and so
07:41the security guard would put a double cheeseburger
07:43in my locker
07:44after every game
07:45the security guy
07:46on the road
07:47started to do it
07:48have you got any video
07:49on this segment, Teddy?
07:50I get in
07:51and yeah
07:52I was named MVP
07:53and it was an average game
07:55I thought
07:56the media's not allowed
07:57in the training room
07:58so I went in the training room
07:59to eat
08:00my dad came in
08:01he was all excited
08:02and happy
08:03and he's going
08:04what's the matter with you?
08:05I go, I don't know
08:06it just felt like
08:07the game was just okay
08:08he goes
08:09you know what
08:10would you shut up
08:11eat your cheeseburger
08:13you just won the Super Bowl
08:14you just named the MVP
08:15now get out there
08:16and have some fun
08:17and enjoy yourself
08:18for a change
08:20it wasn't a competition
08:21with anyone on the field
08:23as much as it was a competition
08:24with myself
08:25I wanted to be that perfect
08:26as I could possibly be
08:31we flew to San Francisco
08:32immediately got off the plane
08:34they put us on buses
08:36took us to the city
08:38and when you go to start
08:39taking that left
08:40on market
08:41all you see are people
08:46it was like VJ day
08:48or like when the astronauts
08:49came home
08:50it was 10 or 12 deep
08:51ticker tape
08:52and it was just
08:5315, 20 blocks like that
08:55it was pandemonium
09:02the joy and love of that moment
09:05that moment
09:06was so cool
09:07indelible moment
09:14the 49ers hadn't won
09:15much of anything
09:16in their 36 year history
09:17but now
09:18said a fan
09:19San Francisco is number one
09:20in two things
09:21being weird
09:22and football
09:27Dennis Perrone ran
09:29the big top supermarket
09:31it was an underground
09:32marijuana supermarket
09:33so here comes Dennis
09:34and he's got a big shopping bag
09:37and he catches up
09:38to our cable car
09:39and he just starts
09:40throwing joints
09:42and they're just
09:43falling all around us
09:44and I remember
09:45Ronnie Lott goes
09:46Zing! Zing!
09:47Hey is this shit any good?
09:48I said it's the best
09:49in the city
09:52the 49ers had taken over
09:54the job of putting
09:55band-aids on his town
09:56until the town could figure out
09:57how to get better on its own
09:59it was still not the Shangri-La it used to be
10:03but
10:04now they had somebody say
10:06well yeah but we got them
10:08that was Camelot
10:10that was Camelot
10:11that was Camelot
10:12that was the greatest experience
10:14for everyone involved
10:16that they'll ever have in their life
10:18to go through a season like that
10:20in 1977 different people in the town
10:26they didn't want the DeBartlows
10:28or Eddie DeBartlow Jr. running their franchise
10:32and it took years to overcome that
10:36and after the game was over
10:38I dedicated it to my dad
10:40so that probably made that trophy
10:43the most special trophy to me
10:49but as euphoric as 1981
10:52and our championship year was
10:54that's how depressing
10:561982 developed into
11:07I always felt the locker room
11:09and the bench
11:10it had a black and white feel
11:12it was confidential
11:17it's the same if you're backstage
11:20I started in rock and roll
11:22Jeff Beck, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin
11:25and after the Super Bowl
11:27the Niners were not like rock stars
11:30they were rock stars
11:37party for a few hours
11:38and you sleep for a couple of hours
11:39and then you're in a parade
11:40I'm Miss Universe from 1980
11:42and my three favorite football players
11:44are Dwight Clark from the San Francisco 49ers
11:46Dwight Clark and Dwight Clark
11:48Listen I was always jealous of Dwight and Joe man
11:53these freaking guys
11:55they were rock stars man
11:57they ran the town
11:59this evening I'm here at the Custom House restaurant
12:01in Foster City
12:02in the San Francisco Zoo
12:04for Channel 7 News
12:05Joe Montana
12:07Bill came to Joe
12:08he said hey man
12:09I think you're doing too much
12:11right after the first Super Bowl
12:13everybody was out
12:14trying to take advantage of everything
12:16that they possibly could
12:17didn't know we'd ever go back again
12:23that really affected the way we played
12:25in 82
12:26big time
12:27and it was an embarrassment
12:33at that time we weren't bonded
12:35and working together as well as we should have
12:37you are joining the action at its ultimate
12:41Wershey trying for a field goal
12:43and the Rams lead by one
12:45it's blocked
12:46it was a low kick
12:48and the Rams pulled off the big upset
12:51I think some men that even were Pro Bowl performers
12:56were very very shoddy in their performance
12:58I have to just
12:59we all know it
13:00so there's no use of my trying to hide it
13:02or whatever
13:04it was very very unfortunate
13:06and I can't put my finger on it
13:08and I have a lot of soul searching my own to do
13:10I just am at a loss
13:16that year in the meeting
13:20Bill didn't show up
13:24for me as a player
13:25young player
13:27it was confusing
13:28I understood the emotion
13:32of disappointment
13:34what I didn't understand
13:35was
13:36why he wasn't there
13:39why he couldn't face us
13:42some people
13:44are able to
13:45stand up
13:46and give a
13:47incredible speech
13:48and tell you
13:49by the way
13:50we're gonna go back
13:51next year
13:52and we'll get him
13:53and we'll kill him
13:55I think Bill
13:56was not that person
14:00yell at us
14:01we didn't care
14:02you'd yell and scream
14:03and tell us how shitty we were
14:05it doesn't matter
14:06but
14:07everybody was disappointed
14:08in the way it ended
14:09that year
14:10and
14:12I think they were just disappointed
14:13that he didn't come in and do that
14:20he just
14:21had a
14:22probably a little bit
14:23of a mini breakdown
14:24he wanted to
14:28step down
14:30he was hanging by a thread
14:31emotionally
14:32through a lot of this
14:33what he couldn't deal with
14:34was losses
14:36losses haunted him
14:37into the night
14:38we've had this taste in our mouth
14:39one too many times
14:40I don't want to have to suffer through this
14:42any more than you do
14:43I don't want that sick feeling
14:45of losing a game
14:46that you should have won
14:49and this is one thing he couldn't overcome
14:51with a human aspect of it
14:54it should work perfectly
14:56but you have a human breakdown
14:58and then you start to second guess yourself
15:00maybe I'm doing too much
15:02I was basically acting as the offensive coordinator
15:05and the head coach
15:06and the president
15:08so the three of those jobs
15:10would probably be a little too much
15:11Bill had the feeling you know that he'd like to stay on board
15:20as the general manager
15:21and maybe that's all we were going to get out of him
15:24Eddie stood up
15:26and I think salvaged the franchise
15:30he said Bill
15:32you cannot be the general manager of this team without being the head coach
15:37for you to quit now
15:39would really
15:41be a sin
15:42and he backed him into a corner
15:44here we are
15:46sunny skies
15:47blue skies in training camp
15:48you know what are you doing back here
15:50well we thought it was in our best interest of the club that I continue to coach
15:54and we worked it out organizationally
15:56I said this is your job
15:57you're a great coach
15:59that's what you need to do
16:00coming back for that 83 season
16:07we got back on track
16:10we're tied 21 all
16:12third down and five coming up
16:15two minutes left in the game
16:17that ultimately ended in more frustration
16:20Seisman in zone
16:22incomplete
16:24another flag has been thrown
16:26hold it
16:28and a forty-two defense
16:30again Ronnie Lana holding call
16:32that's awfully picky to me
16:37it's good
16:41the Redskins are going back to the Super Bowl
16:44it felt like they took it from us
16:49but for what some would say were questionable calls in the nation's capital
16:53we should have been in that Super Bowl
16:56a gallon effort by the 49ers
17:00Bill handled that well
17:02he came out of that loss
17:04invigorated as opposed to despondent
17:07and said we'll do whatever we have to do to make sure that we get this thing right
17:11oh here we go
17:21gee
17:23I tell people if he could talk the stories he would tell
17:26Bemular, yes
17:28there you are, I wondered where you went
17:30Bemular, Godzilla's son
17:32oh this is Bemular
17:34it was 1984
17:36I found him on Haight Street
17:37at a real cool Japanese curio shop
17:40he started making the 49er trips with me
17:43and he'd sit in the seat next to me
17:44I had an empty seat
17:46is my friend here today?
17:47there we go
17:53you ain't aged
17:55he brought this everywhere we went
17:57he ended up being a good luck charm for us
17:59we all came back more determined and more of this idea of you know what we're going to climb the hill
18:09I really think that we're going to be right back in contention
18:12there's some rebuilding to do but we have some very very fine ball players
18:16you had Bill making some pretty significant changes to the roster through the draft
18:22Roger Craig is one of the great backs in football and versatility standpoint he receives catches blocks
18:29the 1984 season was phenomenal
18:33this team appearing as though it shouldn't lose any games
18:38against any opponent
18:41Bill was smart in so many ways
18:44and then combine that with the development of what had become known as the West Coast offense
18:49the West Coast offense
18:51his advances to that element of the game
18:54and with all of that came the term genius
18:58the genius as they call him
19:00the genius label perhaps is going to stick with him whether he likes it or not
19:04I really think the West Coast offense
19:06it's a very specific sequential approach to football
19:11the essence of it is a ball control passing game
19:15combined with a complete fully dimensional running game
19:17he breaks loose and runs loose
19:20he gets hits from the 30 to the 25
19:21he's down to the 20
19:22breaks loose again
19:24he's in the 10!
19:255! Touchdown 49ers!
19:27Defensive have this crazy thing in their mind
19:30you hand the ball off guy gains 4 yards on a run
19:32oh you can't give up 4 yards on a run
19:35you drop back the pass on first down
19:38gains 4 yards
19:40in their mind they think they stopped you
19:42but it's the same 4 yards
19:43and then next thing you know they're trying to figure out
19:47wow how'd they get down here inside the 20
19:50we've been known to be scintillating to take a word from Bill Wallace
19:54if he ran it right it was unstoppable
19:56because everything was timed
19:58they don't vary their offense very much
20:00they just rehearse it constantly in repetition
20:02and do a fantastic job for the timing of it
20:05the West Coast offense
20:07one nobody else was doing it and two nobody else knew how to stop it
20:09their success is generated by high powered offense triggered by quarterback Joe Montana
20:1615 regular season wins by the San Francisco 49ers set an NFL record
20:20and earning the home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs
20:23Montana she does it well
20:27he'll get the first down
20:29Montana rolling out on the right side looking toward the end zone
20:34now throwing fires
20:36it's come by Solomon
20:38touchdown for the 49ers
20:40Montana's scrambling ability made that touchdown possible
20:43it was one of those days just a game that was really draining
20:47when I came over here I just got down on one knee and I said just give me a minute to catch my breath
20:52look at this conference between Bill Walsh and Joe Montana
20:56well you know when you're a coach you want to get down and look in your quarterback's eyes
21:00so you just if he's down on one knee you just get down on one knee like so you look right in his eye
21:07that captures a connection
21:09I see the look in his eyes the focus and concentration
21:15looks like we're drawing something in the dirt but I was playing with the grass then he started to
21:19while he's talking to me
21:22this crowd all set to move to the Super Bowl in two weeks down to Stanford Stadium where they'll be facing the Miami Dolphins
21:29they'll become official in one minute and 52 seconds more action
21:32I must not have been in trouble because I have a smile on my face
21:37well it's all over here at Candlestick Park
21:39he's on to the Super Bowl for the 49ers seeking their second Super Bowl title in four years
21:46this whole organization has just been outstanding and Eddie DiBartolo's got to be awfully proud of the job that they've done
21:52it's Super Bowl 19 this year with Miami and San Francisco tangling at Stanford Stadium
21:58this is San Francisco's first Super Bowl
22:01officials say it's attracted more people and more money than any previous event
22:05Super Bowl souvenirs
22:08it's pretty unbelievable to grow up at that time
22:11San Francisco was a bit of an overwhelming place
22:15a beautiful city
22:17but a city filled with bums, drug addicts and general all-around weirdos
22:23it was a little rough but there was a lot of growth in the city too
22:27what we want to do is bring this personal computer technology to tens of millions of people who have never seen a computer before
22:32at the same time that Bill Walsh was revolutionizing football with the West Coast offense
22:39all the tech entrepreneurs were flooding the Bay Area as well
22:43there's a lot of mavericks out on the West Coast who kind of do things their way
22:48volunteers have nearly completed the task of attaching cushions donated by Apple Computer onto the stands
22:53one of the great marketing coups of our time
22:56Apple has been working on this for months and went through 10 prototype seat cushions
23:00oh my god
23:04sponsored by Apple
23:06had no idea
23:08my parents were at the game they won the lottery
23:11from the season ticket holders to go to the game
23:14I think we had one of these at one point I never looked at the back
23:18today well over 100 million football fans from over 30 countries will focus their attention on this famed old facility
23:25where the Miami Dolphins will meet the San Francisco 49ers
23:31going into that game the media kind of dubbed it Dan Marino Super Bowl
23:35Dan Marino what a great year he's had those touchdown passes 48 regular season
23:39here's Marino wide open field throws for a touchdown and there's the record
23:45most yards came most passes completed 362 those are all NFL records for young Dan Marino
23:51and everybody's talking about Danny Danny and then right for Lee so because he earned it
23:55this was just like Bill he laid on this bag and he's just start talking about Marino
24:05nobody can stop Marino and he knows what he's doing
24:09coach Bill Walsh and the San Francisco 49ers
24:14the San Francisco 49ers
24:37linebackers believe it's better to give than receive that's what linebackers do right you want to give you always want to give that
24:41that hit
24:45Marino under pressure again
24:47Tony Nathan is hammered by Keena Turner
24:50we were able to get to Dan Marino
24:54only a spark
24:56to light my way
24:58I want to give out
25:01I want to give in
25:03it changed how Miami had to play
25:06cause all we'd heard about was Dan Marino
25:10this unbelievable offense that was going to revolutionize you know the game
25:14ok
25:16we'll see which one shows up
25:18through the lives
25:21through the storms
25:23through the trials
25:25and through the wars
25:26oh I still believe
25:27oh I still believe
25:41la la la la la la
25:51Underneath to Roger Craig, Roger Craig coming from the right side, crossing the middle.
26:06Super Bowl 19 is in the record book.
26:1049ers, they were a champion.
26:12Then they were a champion again.
26:14I feel the grace, oh, I still believe.
26:20Now he's rolling in joy.
26:23He no longer had to flinch every time somebody said his name because the 49ers were no longer a figure of fun.
26:31Guys, I love you. Coach Walsh, his staff, we're the best. We are the best.
26:39The biggest thing that I wanted to do was to create a family atmosphere.
26:52You couldn't ask for a better owner at the time or any time.
26:57If they needed anything, if their families needed anything, the players knew that I would do anything in the world for them.
27:07It was a key to our success.
27:11Eddie spent like nine drunken sailors on his players.
27:15Astronomical salaries, wide-bodied planes, separate hotel rooms for his players. His largesse is legendary.
27:22Even their Super Bowl rings. Everybody else's ring looked like a class ring compared to the 49ers rings.
27:29Eddie DeBarlow said, no problem. I'm gonna pay for my guys to have the best of everything.
27:34Eddie said to the team, all I want is for you guys to win.
27:41Once you are a part of his family, you're always gonna be a part of his family.
27:54I think Jerry sets the standard for every football player that's ever has played and will play in the future.
28:01He had a relentless drive to pursue his own excellence.
28:07Jerry Rice is still the GOAT, without a doubt.
28:1016th pick in the first round.
28:15Wide receiver, Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley.
28:20Hello?
28:24Are you watching the TV?
28:26Never, never thought that I was gonna get drafted by the San Francisco 49ers.
28:33Is he finally the deep threat that you've been searching for since you've been here at the 49ers?
28:36Oh, I think so. He can catch the ball at any point on the field. He can do everything. Absolutely everything.
28:44It was a big shock because I was born in Starkville, Mississippi. Mississippi Valley State.
28:51Okay, let it all out. Scream for me.
28:53Now, all of a sudden, you come into the big city of San Francisco.
29:02And I walked into the locker room, and Joe Montana locker was to the left. Then Dwight Clark was right to my right.
29:11And I'm like, oh, my God. Imagine what that felt like.
29:16Trying not to lose my head.
29:19It was like I was a fish out of water.
29:21Like a juggle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep them going.
29:23There's no receiver that has even got close to what stat-wise you've done.
29:28But the level of dependability, consistency, like there's an inner drive in you that even when you had your best seasons, 1,500 yards, 1,600 yards, that wasn't enough for you.
29:38I just learned how to just work my butt off.
29:41Whenever I go into a camp, I go in with great enthusiasm.
29:46Not, you know, saying I knew I was going to be the most gifted.
29:50But one thing that I was going to do, I was going to outwork you.
29:54We had already won a couple of Super Bowls, so everybody had a pretty good work ethic, we thought, until he came along.
30:01You would throw the ball to a wide receiver in practice.
30:03They were taught to catch it and turn and run 10 or 15 yards.
30:06He would score a touchdown every time, no matter how far.
30:13Everybody laughed at him.
30:15Because he was a first-round pick and thinking he was going to show that you're not going to get cut, don't worry.
30:22But that's how we practiced every day.
30:26My main goal was to win over Joe Montana.
30:31I wanted to make every catch and I wanted to impress him.
30:36I said to myself, hey, look, I'm going to make every catch that he throws to me.
30:41But I didn't realize I was putting additional pressure on myself to do that.
30:46This is when I was going through adversity.
30:53When I first got to the Niners, I was dropping footballs.
30:57Jerry Rice is like any other player coming into the National Football League.
31:02It's that experience and then the confidence that goes with it.
31:05Telly's experienced that a number of times in a number of situations
31:10where you could begin to think very clearly under that stress, you're still a rookie.
31:14I was dropping balls all over the place and I was being booed, everything was happening.
31:27Bill Walsh told me this.
31:28He said, you're going to be the greatest football player to ever play the game.
31:32I mean, his vision and what he could see and for him to take a chance on me like that, I was not going to let him down.
31:41Well, it took Jerry most of his first year to come through that.
31:45But toward the end of it, he really showed his abilities, fully ready to become a great player.
31:50Rice is there.
31:52Double team this man.
31:55Jerry Rice has been absolutely brilliant tonight.
31:59He was dropping passes earlier in the year and he really got uptight about it.
32:03He may never worry anymore.
32:06In the 80s, you always knew that the road to the Super Bowl was going to go through the 49ers one way or another.
32:14But, you know, for us, it was about getting them to come to the Midlands when it's really cold.
32:25When you play in the Midlands, it's like playing in hell.
32:31The 49ers never played the game the way the rest of the league played it.
32:38That West Coast offense was something that you had to really go to work on to really see where the vulnerabilities were.
32:46We figured it out.
32:49Once we could disrupt the timing of it, which started on the outside, we just started banging them, just hitting them.
33:02They didn't cry, they didn't bitch about it, but it just effed up their whole timing.
33:10They really gave us trouble because they crowded Joe Montana.
33:20They really got in his face.
33:22And he just didn't have time to throw those picture-perfect precision passes.
33:27We just couldn't get it done.
33:29The Super Bowl champions are bruised and battered.
33:33It created an uneasy feeling.
33:37Something's systemically wrong.
33:40It was not the Niners' finest hour.
33:42Fumbles, dropped balls, and missed passes knocked him out of the race to the Super Bowl.
33:48We got in the arena, and we gave it our shot.
33:54And when you're willing to do that, you run the risk of losing and getting humiliated.
34:06I want to meet even briefly with each guy before you go, so it may be another hour or two here.
34:13At the end of the season, and we're talking about the day after whatever the season ended, you had that talk with Bill.
34:20Just talk a minute with each one of you.
34:23Yeah, I remember the first time I did it with him.
34:25You know, he sat there and he had his little card, and he goes,
34:28Hey, you're going to the Pro Bowl.
34:30Yep, you're all pro.
34:31Yep.
34:32Um, you probably got three or four years left here.
34:38If you have any questions about your future here, that's the time to approach me when I can give you an honest evaluation of where I think you are in your career, what you can expect.
34:50Are you and Bill Walsh close? Maybe you've become friends?
34:53Um, no, not really. I think that Bill takes the approach with all the players that he has that type of position where he has to make decisions on players and he can't let a personal relationship come between them.
35:07What Bill Walsh has done, he's almost rebuilt a playoff football team. He's released some very popular veterans and making some unpopular decisions.
35:16The toughest decision was a series of decisions made to ask men and to manipulate and condition men into retiring, into leaving the game.
35:30Dwight Clark stood on the sidelines today, recovering from off-season knee surgery that had Coach Bill Walsh asking Dwight to seriously consider retiring.
35:40Fred Quillen, Wendell Tyler.
35:4349ers wide receiver Freddie Solomon announced he was retiring from professional football at the end of this season.
35:48But at Freddie we do, naturally. We've said it many times, and this really isn't the place to say, because everybody's had a chance, but you had an incredible career, and you've been the difference for some of the greatness we've had, and we thank you again.
36:00How do you like champagne? Pop it!
36:04Pop it! Pop it! Pop it!
36:08Bill always professed the attitude, better to let a player go a year early rather than a year late, because you never make up for it.
36:17The 49ers hope to return to their Super Bowl prowess of a couple of years ago. To do it, Joe Montana's got to be helping.
36:24It was early in the season, so it was smoking hot in Tampa. Early in the game, I got flushed out of the pocket to the left. I turned to throw the ball down the sideline.
36:37I grabbed my back and didn't think anything of it at that time. It was just like a little pinch.
36:45So I played the rest of the game, and then as I got into the locker room, I started showering, and then I started feeling the pain in my back and in my leg more than anything.
36:57By the time I got on the bus and the airplane, I could barely stand it.
37:02Joe Montana is checking into hospital today. He'll have surgery tomorrow, and we'll be out conceivably the entire season.
37:09Joe Montana underwent surgery today for ruptured discs. No word on the prognosis, but there are some who think that Montana's career is over.
37:21I was just laying around the house going, okay, I don't know, do I really want to play again? Do I want to go back out there?
37:27If it wasn't for Jennifer, I probably would have called it a day, and she just started ridiculing me.
37:36Not hard, but just saying little things like, oh, so I guess you're a quitter now.
37:42He was giving up. I could tell, but I know how badly he still wanted to play.
37:47Her jousting finally got my mind going again, and then once that happened, then I just set my sights on going back as fast as I could get back.
37:59There is a time frame that might include Joe this year, but it's very, very unlikely.
38:06He changed his whole thought process, and he got to be the determined perfectionist that he is.
38:15Game on, I'm a competitor. I'm not going to just give up here.
38:22The story here is the return of quarterback Joe Montana, just eight weeks after serious disc surgery.
38:28What did Montana do? This is all. 13-19, 270 yards, and three touchdowns.
38:34It feels great to come back. It felt good to throw a few touchdown passes.
38:38I'm excited for Joe in one aspect, and the other I'm nervous.
38:44Last year, the Giants beat the 49ers in the wildcard game.
38:49So these are two teams quite familiar with each other in playoff situations.
38:53We went to New York, played the Giants in the playoff game.
38:59Joe Montana got knocked out.
39:11Montana is down. Taylor is in the end zone. But Montana is hurt.
39:17Montana is hurt.
39:33Wow.
39:34Oh, man.
39:39There were so many times that I watched him play, and I thought, that's insane. That's crazy.
39:47I hated watching, but some of the things I saw him do are amazing.
39:53Dang.
39:58Joe was perfect in everybody's eyes.
40:0249ers were losers up until Joe got there.
40:06And then here's Steve Young, and I'm like, oh, my God, we've got the next Joe Montana.
40:12So there was a ton of pressure on Steve because it's hard to follow Joe Montana.
40:21Montana is down.
40:24Montana headed for the San Francisco locker room.
40:29Locker room.
40:38Joe Montana suffered a concussion, being taken to the hospital.
40:43Bill was looking for answers.
40:47He started looking and wanting to move Joe Montana out of the position he was in and bring in somebody else.
40:52There are two categories. One would be to draft, not draft, trade for a younger quarterback.
41:01There were eggshells on the floor, and you had to be careful where you stepped.
41:07When Bill was recruiting me to come, you know, it was really about, I don't know how long Joe's going to play,
41:12and I want you to be the starter.
41:15He said, I want to coach you. I think you can be great.
41:18And Bill was telling you that? You're like, oh, yeah, sign me up.
41:23I was a left-handed scrambler.
41:26Talk about an oddity.
41:28He was recruiting me to the 49ers. He said, if you'll learn the job of quarterback, your ability to run will make you unstoppable.
41:35It's a bonus. It's a benefit. It's a plus.
41:38Bill's the first one to kind of give me the confidence that I could play my game.
41:41Steve Young, Brigham Young University quarterback.
41:45Brigham Young makes a habit of producing great quarterbacks, but many of the experts say Steve is the best ever BYU.
41:55His great-great-great-granddaddy was the Brigham Young. No wonder he made the team. He knows the owner.
42:00Fresh out of Brigham Young University, Young signed with the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League for $42 million over 24 years.
42:13219!
42:15It looked like the start of the career the descendant of Brigham Young had dreamed of.
42:20But the dream turned into a nightmare. The USFL died and with only a small fraction of the promised Bonanza Young moved to the NFL.
42:33I mean, quarterback in the NFL, you need a lot of help.
42:37Tampa was a mess of an organization.
42:41We just didn't have the help that was necessary.
42:44And I remember telling my dad, I think I'm just going to go to law school. I don't know if I want to keep doing this.
42:52And then I went to San Francisco and it was like, you know, completely opposite.
43:02I remember coming to the first minicamp in May, 1987.
43:08Equipment man, Ted Walsh, he gave me a pair of shoes because I didn't have them.
43:12And I guess he had told Joe, hey, I gave him a pair of your shoes.
43:17I didn't know it.
43:18And I had not met Joe Montana yet. I'd never run into him before.
43:22I was under the impression that he might not play again.
43:25That was how I was like, he might not play again. I got to be ready to go.
43:29And he came jogging out and laughing and throwing the ball around.
43:32And I remember thinking to myself, this dude is not hurt.
43:35I remember mentioning it to Bill Walsh, like coach, you know, he doesn't seem very hurt.
43:44I wish I would have taken a picture of it. Bill went like, well, you know, these things happen.
43:49We're walking in and I'm meeting Joe essentially for the first time.
43:55And he goes, hey, nice shoes.
43:57And I looked down and there's 16 on the back of the shoes.
44:01And I'm like, oh, my gosh.
44:05Off we go.
44:07That'll be a number two.
44:09I've always said I wanted to kind of be number one A right now.
44:12I'm just going to keep pushing and working hard and trying to challenge Joe.
44:16Day to day, we had a great time.
44:19The quarterback room was fun.
44:21He was fun.
44:22We'd go out early in practice with these old tape rolls with just a little bit of athletic tape still on them and try to throw them in the top of the goalposts.
44:29This is actually the secret to the 49er winning away.
44:34They are both unbelievably competitive.
44:38Walsh has already stated number eight is heir to the king, the King Joe Montana.
44:45You're never ready to retire.
44:46I'm definitely not ready now.
44:48I remember telling Bill, it's a dream to come to San Francisco.
44:51It's a dream what you just told me about how you feel about me.
44:55But there's only one job.
44:56I don't want to come and watch.
44:59It doesn't bother me.
45:00I mean, he hasn't had success in anywhere he's been so far.
45:03I mean, there's always going to be some competition.
45:05The thing about it is, is I don't have to worry about Steve.
45:07I have my own self to worry about.
45:09We don't want a quarterback controversy.
45:11Now we're starting to get one here.
45:14I'm better than he is.
45:17I wasn't going to let somebody just walk in and take a job that I wasn't ready to give up.
45:28When things are tough, how do you deal with it as a team?
45:38The media refusing to budge from the quarterback controversy.
45:42In my own mind, I try to beat Joe.
45:43That's my goal.
45:44And I think it's a great challenge.
45:45I think they're going to have to kick me out.
45:47I still want to play.
45:48He was the best in the game and I was trying to be.
45:51I had to make Steve Young the best that he could be.
45:55Who on this team isn't replaceable?
45:57I'm motivates me.
45:58Here we go.
45:59Well, let's just take a loop in there.
46:00Leave us.
46:01Go.
46:03I'll see you next time.
46:05Takeo.
46:07You're always looking good.
46:09Transcription by CastingWords
Comments