--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The 49ers didn’t have a first-round…" description: "\"“The 49ers didn’t have a first-round pick—it had been traded years earlier to the Bills in the O.J. Simpson trade—and Walsh was hoping to take Simms at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/gary-myers-44626_joe-montana_the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick_2230074.jpg" --- # The 49ers didn’t have a first-round pick—it had been… ![“The 49ers didn’t have a first-round pick—it had been traded years earlier to the Bills in the O.J. Simpson trade—and Walsh was hoping to take Simms at the top of the second round. But the Giants took Simms seventh overall, and Walsh had to settle for Joe Montana with the last pick in the third…” quote by Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/gary-myers-44626_joe-montana_the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick_2230074.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/gary-myers-44626_joe-montana_the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick_2230074.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/gary-myers-44626_joe-montana_the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick_2230074.jpg) > ““The 49ers didn’t have a first-round pick—it had been traded years earlier to the Bills in the O.J. Simpson trade—and Walsh was hoping to take Simms at the top of the second round. But the Giants took Simms seventh overall, and Walsh had to settle for Joe Montana with the last pick in the third round.”” [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A team missed out on a top prospect due to previous trades, forcing them to select a later-round player who became a legend. **In simple terms:** Missing a top pick led to an unexpected great player. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility when plans change. Themes sports strategy unexpected outcomes Mood reflective optimistic Type historical analytical When to use this quote - team building - draft preparation - talent evaluation Key Concepts draft trades talent scouting career trajectories Questions to Reflect On - How can teams mitigate risks of past trades? - What qualities make a late-round pick succeed? A Different Perspective Even late picks can become stars, but risk remains. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The 10 or 12 artists I have known really well all my life are at least as competitive as professional athletes. They may express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-10-or-12-artists-i-have-known-really-well-all-my-life-are-at/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In Montana, they renamed a town after an all-time great, Joe Montana. Well, a town in Massachusetts changed their name to honor my guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-long/in-montana-they-renamed-a-town-after-an-all-time-great-joe-montana/) [Howie Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-long/) > [“What John Ayers was doing seemed routine. But to the few who knew, and watched, it was a thing of beauty. The ball is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/what-john-ayers-was-doing-seemed-routine-but-to-the-few-who-knew-and/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [I want to someday be in the same position as John Elway, Joe Montana and Steve Young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-young/i-want-to-someday-be-in-the-same-position-as-john-elway-joe-montana/) [Vince Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-young/) > [I was a San Francisco fan when Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott and those guys where there. And I watched Joe Montana get cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-reed/i-was-a-san-francisco-fan-when-joe-montana-and-ronnie-lott-and-those/) [Ed Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-reed/) > [I just want the same thing Joe Montana got when he was MVP. He got respect. He got commercials. He got everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-just-want-the-same-thing-joe-montana-got-when-he-was-mvp-he-got/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Joe Montana had bad games in the playoffs against the Giants and Chicago Bears; that doesn't stop us from considering him as possibly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-carter/joe-montana-had-bad-games-in-the-playoffs-against-the-giants-and/) [Cris Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-carter/) > [Like they used to say about Joe Montana, he threw soft because he couldn't throw hard. He was successful because he didn't try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/like-they-used-to-say-about-joe-montana-he-threw-soft-because-he/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [If you look at the history of great quarterbacks, from Joe Montana being picked late to Tom Brady being picked late to Steve Young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geno-smith/if-you-look-at-the-history-of-great-quarterbacks-from-joe-montana/) [Geno Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geno-smith/) > [I know a lot of friends and family who were Joe Montana fans, where it didn't matter how well Steve Young did. They weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rodgers/i-know-a-lot-of-friends-and-family-who-were-joe-montana-fans-where-it/) [Aaron Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rodgers/) > [I've played more golf with Joe Montana and Steve Bono than I've played with anyone else. We've played a ton of golf. I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/i-ve-played-more-golf-with-joe-montana-and-steve-bono-than-i-ve/) [Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/) > [I think he supersedes Peyton Manning but let's not throw Tom Brady in the category with Joe Montana, who was 4-for-4. He's royalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/i-think-he-supersedes-peyton-manning-but-let-s-not-throw-tom-brady-in/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“I make love with the accuracy of Joe Montana, and from a distance of up to 100 yards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-make-love-with-the-accuracy-of-joe-montana-and-from-a-distance-of/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [It was okay for Wayne Gretzky's dad, for instance, to give him a hockey stick, or Joe Montana's dad to give him a football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/it-was-okay-for-wayne-gretzky-s-dad-for-instance-to-give-him-a-hockey/) [Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/) > [How good is Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel anyway? ... to me, Daniel's brilliance has nothing to do with the big numbers he puts up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-posnanski/how-good-is-missouri-quarterback-chase-daniel-anyway-to-me-daniel-s/) [Joe Posnanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-posnanski/) ## More by Gary Myers > [“After the 1998 season Warner was included among the five Rams exposed on the expansion list for the new Cleveland Browns. The Browns passed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/after-the-1998-season-warner-was-included-among-the-five-rams-exposed/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) > [You want to be the one that people piclk up the paper in the morning to see what you say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/you-want-to-be-the-one-that-people-piclk-up-the-paper-in-the-morning/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) > [Dear Lord, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/dear-lord-make-me-a-better-parent-teach-me-to-understand-my-children/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) > [It's never my intent to be controversial but I don't shy away from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/it-s-never-my-intent-to-be-controversial-but-i-don-t-shy-away-from-it/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) > [“They’ve had several conversations since that day in Owings Mills when Bisciotti fired him. “He said at some point we will sit down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/they-ve-had-several-conversations-since-that-day-in-owings-mills-when/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) > [“As Parcells developed as a head coach, he came to understand that creative tension produced better results. He preyed upon the insecurity of players.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/as-parcells-developed-as-a-head-coach-he-came-to-understand-that/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) > [The important things for a mom is that her kids are watched, and are safe and it's a good care environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/the-important-things-for-a-mom-is-that-her-kids-are-watched-and-are/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) > [Roger Goodell makes $40 million a year, which more than compensates him for the most difficult and sensitive decision in his nine years as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/roger-goodell-makes-40-million-a-year-which-more-than-compensates-him/) [Gary Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) [Explore all 9 Gary Myers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/) ## More Joe Montana quotes > [The 10 or 12 artists I have known really well all my life are at least as competitive as professional athletes. They may express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-10-or-12-artists-i-have-known-really-well-all-my-life-are-at/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [It was okay for Wayne Gretzky's dad, for instance, to give him a hockey stick, or Joe Montana's dad to give him a football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/it-was-okay-for-wayne-gretzky-s-dad-for-instance-to-give-him-a-hockey/) [Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/) > [“I make love with the accuracy of Joe Montana, and from a distance of up to 100 yards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-make-love-with-the-accuracy-of-joe-montana-and-from-a-distance-of/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I think he supersedes Peyton Manning but let's not throw Tom Brady in the category with Joe Montana, who was 4-for-4. He's royalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/i-think-he-supersedes-peyton-manning-but-let-s-not-throw-tom-brady-in/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [I've played more golf with Joe Montana and Steve Bono than I've played with anyone else. We've played a ton of golf. I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/i-ve-played-more-golf-with-joe-montana-and-steve-bono-than-i-ve/) [Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/) > [I know a lot of friends and family who were Joe Montana fans, where it didn't matter how well Steve Young did. They weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rodgers/i-know-a-lot-of-friends-and-family-who-were-joe-montana-fans-where-it/) [Aaron Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rodgers/) > [If you look at the history of great quarterbacks, from Joe Montana being picked late to Tom Brady being picked late to Steve Young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geno-smith/if-you-look-at-the-history-of-great-quarterbacks-from-joe-montana/) [Geno Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geno-smith/) > [Like they used to say about Joe Montana, he threw soft because he couldn't throw hard. He was successful because he didn't try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/like-they-used-to-say-about-joe-montana-he-threw-soft-because-he/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [Joe Montana had bad games in the playoffs against the Giants and Chicago Bears; that doesn't stop us from considering him as possibly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-carter/joe-montana-had-bad-games-in-the-playoffs-against-the-giants-and/) [Cris Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-carter/) > [I just want the same thing Joe Montana got when he was MVP. He got respect. He got commercials. He got everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-just-want-the-same-thing-joe-montana-got-when-he-was-mvp-he-got/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I was a San Francisco fan when Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott and those guys where there. And I watched Joe Montana get cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-reed/i-was-a-san-francisco-fan-when-joe-montana-and-ronnie-lott-and-those/) [Ed Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-reed/) > [I want to someday be in the same position as John Elway, Joe Montana and Steve Young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-young/i-want-to-someday-be-in-the-same-position-as-john-elway-joe-montana/) [Vince Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-young/) > [“What John Ayers was doing seemed routine. But to the few who knew, and watched, it was a thing of beauty. The ball is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/what-john-ayers-was-doing-seemed-routine-but-to-the-few-who-knew-and/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [In Montana, they renamed a town after an all-time great, Joe Montana. Well, a town in Massachusetts changed their name to honor my guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-long/in-montana-they-renamed-a-town-after-an-all-time-great-joe-montana/) [Howie Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-long/) > [How good is Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel anyway? ... to me, Daniel's brilliance has nothing to do with the big numbers he puts up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-posnanski/how-good-is-missouri-quarterback-chase-daniel-anyway-to-me-daniel-s/) [Joe Posnanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-posnanski/) Browse all 28 Joe Montana quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The 49ers didn’t have a first-round pick—it had been traded years earlier to the Bills in the O.J. Simpson trade—and Walsh was hoping to take Simms at the top of the second round. But the Giants took Simms seventh overall, and Walsh had to settle for Joe Montana with the last pick in the third round.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary Myers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick-it-had-been-traded-years/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Joe Montana" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick-it-had-been-traded-years/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/gary-myers-44626_joe-montana_the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick_2230074.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/gary-myers-44626_joe-montana_the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick_2230074.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/gary-myers-44626_joe-montana_the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick_2230074.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The 49ers didn’t have a first-round pick—it had been traded years earlier to the Bills in the O.J. Simpson…” — Gary Myers", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gary Myers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-myers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The 49ers didn’t have a first-round...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick-it-had-been-traded-years/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-myers/the-49ers-didn-t-have-a-first-round-pick-it-had-been-traded-years/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```