Football legend Joe Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to nine divisional championships and four Super Bowl victories. He was named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player three times and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Thirty-one fourth quarter comebacks earned Montana the nickname "Comeback Kid." He was selected for eight Pro Bowls and was a five-time leading passer in the National Football Conference. He also holds several career playoff records, including total yards and touchdowns.
Montana now devotes much of his time to charitable causes, taking particular interest in helping children. He donates time to the Make-A-Wish foundation for sick children and hosts a charity golf tournament for the Boys & Girls Club of Richmond, Calif. He also works with the Charm Foundation, which raises money for children’s hospitals, educational scholarships, and programs aimed at improving the lives of foster children.
In 2002, Montana was diagnosed with high blood pressure and became one of the 58 million Americans who have this disease. With a family history of heart disease, Montana knows the seriousness of uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Montana teamed up with James M. Rippe, MD, on the public education campaign, "Take The Pressure Off …With Better Blood Pressure Control," to help millions of Americans achieve better blood pressure control, sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.