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Cliff Montgomery

1910 – 2005

American football player

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About Cliff Montgomery

Lived 1910 – 2005 (aged 94). Cliff Montgomery was an American american football player.

Cliff Montgomery (September 17, 1910 – April 21, 2005) was an American football player who served as the captain of the Columbia Lions football team that won the 1934 Rose Bowl Game. Montgomery, the quarterback, called a hidden-ball trick play known as KF-79 that led to Columbia's 7–0 upset over Stanford University. It was widely regarded as one of the greatest athletic upsets of the twentieth century, and Montgomery was named the game's most valuable player.

Montgomery went on to play for one season with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League (NFL), seeing action in 11 games and starting 3 times.

Montgomery served with the United States Navy during World War II. He earned the Silver Star during the 1945 invasion of Okinawa, credited with saving the lives of 400 sailors on April 6, 1945, when he navigated his flagship alongside a burning destroyer in rough seas.

An executive at McGraw Hill, Montgomery spent 25 years as a college football official and earned a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Columbia University, Highlands High School, The Kiski School
Awards
Silver Star

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Cliff Montgomery's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Cliff Montgomery?

American football player (1910-2005)

When was Cliff Montgomery born?

Cliff Montgomery was born on 17 September 1910.

When did Cliff Montgomery die?

Cliff Montgomery died on 21 April 2005.

What was Cliff Montgomery's occupation?

Cliff Montgomery was an american football player.

What nationality was Cliff Montgomery?

Cliff Montgomery was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Cliff Montgomery

· Wikidata: Q5132706

· DBpedia: Cliff Montgomery

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cliff Montgomery. https://biography.guide/cliff-montgomery/

MLA: "Cliff Montgomery." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cliff-montgomery/.

Chicago: "Cliff Montgomery." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cliff-montgomery/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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