Nick Montana Picks Washington

Paddling your own canoe is what Nick Montana wants to do.

Oaks Christian quarterback and the son of former Notre Dame great Joe Montana, Nick Montana, decided not to follow in his fathers footsteps and play for the Irish, instead committing first year head coach Steve Sarkisian and Washington. The Seattle Times reported the news of the committment last night.

Montana, who is rated as a four-star on Rivals.com, made the decision last night after making an unofficial visit to Washington this past weekend.

While it was believed Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama and Washington were the front runners, many in and around South Bend thought at the end of the day Montana would sign with the Irish. However, reports surfaced later in Montana's recruitment that he wanted to start his own legacy, not follow one.

When you take a step back and think about it, you can't blame the youngest Montana for this decision, and frankly, he may have made a better decision staying out West for these three reasons.

1. He can be apart of the rebuilding process in Washington.
2. He'll be closer to home.
3. He'll get onto the field much earlier at Washington than if he committed to Notre Dame. With Jimmy Clausen and highly touted Dayne Crist as one-two on the Irish depth chart, Montana more than likely would not have seen the field until possibly 2013 at the earliest.

Still, Montana has the chance to create his own legacy, and if he succeeds, he will paddle his way to greatness like his Dad.