Joe Montana, 53, tosses a football around with members of the Dallas Carter High School football team Wednesday afternoon at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX on Sept. 23, 2009. NICOLE JACOBSEN/The Daily Campus

For more than 20 years, the Guaranty Bank SMU Athletic Forum has honored some of the most legendary sports figures, from Charles Barkley and Jerry Rice to yesterday’s guest, NFL Hall of Famer, Joe Montana.

The forum also includes the annual Doak Walker Award ceremony, recognizing the nation’s premier running back for his accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and within the community.

Montana, a four-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, was named Super Bowl MVP three times and was an NFL Pro Bowler selection member eight times in his 16-year career.

While former teammate and current SMU Athletic Director Steve Orsini was a student at Notre Dame, Montana was drafted by San Francisco in the third round, having never been named as the starting quarterback for the Irish.

An expert about the game asked about SMU’s “run and shoot” offense, Montana thinks the Mustangs are on a positive track.

“It’s a fun offense to watch and be in,” Montana said. “If you’re a wide receiver you can’t ask for more fun than to stand back there and be able to throw the ball, and you’ve got guys running everywhere. It looks like a fun thing to be associated with.”

In a Q&A forum, Montana was asked questions ranging from the player he was most intimidated by, to who he views as stars of the game today. Following the luncheon, Montana and several football players from Dallas Carter High School threw footballs around outside, while the NFL legend offered some insight on how to become the best player in the game.

While in college, Montana developed a reputation as the player who could stay calm under high-pressure and excelled in come-from-behind wins.

In what came to be known as the “Chicken Soup Game,” Montana, suffering from flu-like symptoms in the minutes leading up to the Cotton Bowl game between Notre Dame and the University of Houston, led the team to a 35-24 win in the final seconds of regulation.

As Montana sat on the sideline, drinking chicken soup and receiving fluids through an IV, he saw his team’s chance of a win slip away. Entering back into the game in fourth quarter, the Irish ran their last offensive play with two seconds remaining, leading to one of Montana’s most celebrated moments in his career.

During his career in the NFL, Montana spent 14 seasons with San Francisco, leading to four Super Bowl wins. In his final two years, 1993-94, Montana played for the Kansas City Chiefs, leading the team to its first AFC Championship game in franchise history.

At the end of his career, Montana totaled 273 touchdown passes, and threw for 40,551 yards. Montana, now 53, was named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year” and a member of the 1980’s NFL All-Decade Team.

Starting in 1989 as a community outreach program for the Dallas area, the SMU Athletic Forum has come to be regarded as one of America’s preeminent sports luncheon series, according to the organization’s Web site.

All proceeds from the events are used to support athletic scholarships and other operating initiatives within SMU athletics.