I met "Comeback-Joe"!

Far from a 49er-fan and I think that if any of you appreciate football, you will love the story I am about to tell you. Before I get into my story and "close encounter" with Joe Montana, let me give you some of my experiences with some of the NFL's greatest players. Please let me highlight that the collection of individuals I came in close contact with was all about being at the right place, at the right time.

During my Atlanta days after my enlistment with the US Marines, I landed a job as a warehouse coordinator with Winn-Dixie Supermarkets. I excelled from one position to the next (too bad my pay rate didn't), and I had the opportunity to meet wonderful people when I became a part of the Real Estate Team for Winn-Dixie. With this new found position of Property Manager/ Asst. Real Estate Director, came with some access to many sporting games and events. My favorite was when I moved my boss's company car on the other side of the parking lot, so when he came out after the event, the missing car would have given the appearance as being stolen. Needless to say, the guys were out there for about 1.5 hours after the event looking for Mr. Taylor's car. OK, I was part of some sneaky things and that goes to say that I was provoked in most of the things I did while my time at Winn-Dixie.

However, when I came to events and meeting famous people, there was no better place than Winn-Dixie, Atlanta Division. Even the famous Alley Pat came and visited our corporate office once to make sure the new remodel with the MLK location store was going OK. I met Franco Harris signing autographs at one of our store grand reopening's and Fran Tarkington at a dinner before the Super Bowl 34, which is known for the "longest yard" Super Bowl (Which I attended, thanks Scott). When it came to meeting famous people during those times at Winn-Dixie, there was always a surprise. The Super Bowl weekend was packed with stars at the CNN Hotel and I was a sports fan loving everything in sight. Evander Holyfield to Marcus Allen (who was disappointing to meet) and any sports figure you could think of was in the area. The only low point of that weekend was the slight ice storm which cancelled our tee times at the St. Merlot Gulf Club prior to the Super Bowl.

I think the Football Gods were looking out for me. This story I am about to tell you about Joe Montana is disappointing enough. Back in the early 80s, my mother was a housekeeper for the Ramada Inn Hotel in Southfield, MI. Today, a car lot stands there last I checked, so chances of verifying my story is slim. You just have to take my word for it. So during the 49ers 1981 season run to the Super Bowl, they had the honor of staying at the Ramada Inn Hotel a night before the big game. Well, my mother doing her normal rounds of checking the rooms and cleaning, as she steps on the elevator, there was Ronnie Lott, Dwight Clark, a host of a few others and Joe Montana. Well, very much like my mother, she started to mess with them all and being her normal self (could care less for them in the world) and knowing my mother, she probably mess with them about loosing the game if they didn't play well enough.

So after getting off the elevator and laughing with my mother, they all signed a football poster and gave to her. When she arrived home from work that day, she told us that she met "some guys" on the elevator and they gave her this poster to take home. My brother, Dean was a big 49er-fan and he lost his mind. Now I am not saying that we never found out what happened to that poster, but that was the closest I came in contact with Joe Montana.