Dormanium

It all started on December 7th, 1980.

A third-round draft pick from the University of Notre Dame got his chance at being the starter for the San Francisco 49ers. The game was against the winless New Orleans Saints, who had a lead of 35-7 at halftime. At the end of the third it was 35-21. And at the end of the fourth, it was 35-35. The 49ers kicked a field goal in overtime. And with that, Joe Montana got his first of thirty-one career comeback victories.

Montana, who had been drafted in 1979, would play until 1994, and in that time would be named to 8 Pro-Bowl teams, 7 All-Pro teams, win 4 Super Bowls (three of which he was named Most Valuable Player for), 2 NFL MVPs, 1 Offensive Player of the Year award, 1 Comeback Player of the Year award. but what made him special was his post-season play. He has the records for most touchdowns (45) and most passing yards (5,772) in the playoffs. He never lost a Super Bowl, and never threw an interception in a Super Bowl.It was the beginning of an era.

The Quarterback Club Era.

Four years after Montana was drafted, John Elway and Dan Marino would join the National Football League. Elway for the Broncos, Marino for the Dolphins. They would both play their entire careers for those teams.

Steve Young would replace Montana in San Francisco, and Montana would move to Kansas City the same year that the Atlanta Falcons would trade Brett Favre, a quarterback who in his rookie year threw 4 passes for the Falcons, and the only completion was on his first one, unfortunately, that completion was to the other team, and was returned for a touchdown.

Things didn't look too promising early on for Favre in Green Bay, either. At one point during a game in which Favre came in to replace Don Majkowski, the crowd in Green Bay chanted for Ty Detmer to come in and replace Favre. However, with 13 seconds left in the game, Favre completed the winning touchdown pass. And the next game began the longest consecutive started game streak for a Quarterback in NFL history. Brett Favre would finish 1992 by being named to the Pro Bowl. For the first of nine times.

Through the years, Marino was the only one of the five top members of the elite era to not win a Super Bowl. Counting by Super Bowl rings, they have:
Montana: 4
Young: 3
Elway: 2
Favre: 1
Marino: 0

10 rings combined for these five men. They are the basis for what Quarterbacks are judged by today. And they define the types of Quarterbacks there are.

Pure passers with overwhelming ability: Marino
Fiery Emotional Leaders: Elway, Montana
Scramblers: Steve Young
Gunslingers: Brett Favre

The Super Bowl only brought them together three times throughout their intertwined careers.

In Super Bowl XIX, Montana defeated the Dolphins led by Dan Marino, 38-16. In Super Bowl XXIV, Montana and Elway went head-to-head, and Montana's 49ers dominated Elway's Broncos. And in Super Bowl XXXII, John Elway defeated Brett Favre's defending champion Packers in one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time.

I write this because with Brett Favre's retirement 23 days ago, the last member of that group is now out of football. His first pass was an interception, as was his last pass, against the Giants in the NFC championship game.

And now with Favre gone, maybe the torch can be passed. But as it stands, there are only two great Quarterbacks in the NFL. Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, and Peyton Manning of the indianapolis Colts. Maybe in the near future quarterbacks from other teams will show their abilities, and a new group will emerge. But in my opinion, I just don't see a group like that coming into a league, and re-defining a position for a long time.

All five of the Quarterback Clubbers are Pro Football Hall of Famers or are first ballot locks (Favre).

We've had flashes of greatness from other Quarterbacks in the time of the great 5. Kurt Warner, Troy Aikman, Phil Simms, etc. But none of them could compare to any of the others for what they did for their teams and position.

So, for the time being, Era of Great Quarterbacks, rest in peace.