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What: “Biography: Joe Montana”

Where: A&E;, tonight, 8

A&E; has joined forces with NFL Films to produce five “Biography” profiles on NFL legends that are being shown this week, which A&E; is calling “NFL Greats Week.” The shows are great, too.

Tonight’s edition follows Joe Montana through his small-town beginnings in Monongahela, Pa., to his days at Notre Dame and his four Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers.

Frank Gifford was featured Monday night. Walter Payton is profiled Wednesday, Vince Lombardi on Thursday and Joe Namath on Friday.

Al Michaels serves as guest host of the series, and A&E;’s Harry Smith, as usual, narrates.

The Payton profile may stir the most emotion, the Lombardi show may be the most revealing and the Namath profile may be the most appealing. But Montana fans will love tonight’s show.

Among those interviewed are Montana’s wife, Jennifer--they met on a commercial shoot--his parents, Theresa and Joe Sr.; his high school coach, Chuck Abramski; his Notre Dame coach, Dan Devine; former 49er coach Bill Walsh and a number of Montana’s 49er teammates.

The show explores the rift between Montana and Steve Young and explains it well.

But the part on Montana’s early days may be the most interesting.

Montana, an all-around athlete, led Ringgold High to two section basketball titles, and he was offered a basketball scholarship to North Carolina State.

“Basketball was probably my No. 1 love,” Montana says. “Even my father thought I was going to take the easy road and play basketball.”

There was a point where Montana wished he had.

“When I got to Notre Dame, I had this illusion that everything would be easy,” he says.

“Until I realized that there were seven freshman quarterbacks on the team.

“You say to yourself, ‘Why did I do this?”’

It eventually worked out OK for Montana.

Larry Stewart