Joe Montana went to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, to play collegiate football. Montana received a scholarship from Notre Dame, and one contributing factor in his choice of colleges was that Terry Hanratty, his boyhood idol, attended Notre Dame. Montana began his junior year as the Fighting Irish’s third-string quarterback but was elevated to starter after coming off the bench to lead Notre Dame to a comeback victory in the third game of the 1977 season. He finished that season by guiding once-beaten Notre Dame to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A national championship.