Joe Montana Says His Offensive Linemen Used to Cheat by Spraying Silicone on Their Jerseys

Did everyone cheat at everything back in the day?

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

If #DeflateGate has taught us anything, it's this: Pretty much everyone used to try to cheat, er, try to "get a competitive advantage" over their opponents back in the day. Jerry Rice used to put stickum on his hands. Shaquille O'Neal used to remove some of the air out of basketballs so that he could palm them. And according to Joe Montana, who did an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently, even he used to benefit from bending the rules.

Montana himself didn't cheat, but he claims that his offensive linemen used to spray silicone on their jerseys to prevent defensive players from getting a hold of them. They eventually got caught and were asked to stop doing it. But for awhile there, they were clearly in violation of the NFL rules, and it likely helped Montana avoid quite a few sacks during his career.

"Our offensive linemen used to spray silicone on their shirts until they got caught," Montana said. "Once you get caught, you get caught. Period."

Montana then went on to say that he thinks Tom Brady should just confess to whatever wrongdoing he was associated with during the #DeflateGate scandal—and move on.

"It doesn't take anything away from Tom's game," Montana said. "It's one of those things that is a rule, right? It might be a dumb rule, but it doesn't matter. He didn't deflate them himself, but you can pick up a ball and can tell if it is underinflated, overinflated, or what you like. Everybody is afraid to say it, but if the guy did it, so what? Just pay up and move on. It's no big deal."

Do you agree with Montana, or do you think that what Brady did was a bigger deal than Montana is making it out to be?

Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.

[via Eye on Football]

Latest in Sports