Montana, Rice are top names on a 49ers all-time team that features stars all over the field
Montana, Rice are top names on a 49ers all-time team that features stars all over the field
The San Francisco 49ers helped prove the sustainability of professional football on the West Coast. The team was the second-best in the All-America Football Conference and was one of three teams that moved over to the NFL when the AAFC folded in 1949.
Despite a slow start in its new league, San Francisco has reached the NFC Championship Game 15 times and holds a 5-1 record in Super Bowls. The franchise’s all-time team has stars at nearly every position and arguably the best players at two positions.
Head Coach: Bill Walsh perfected the West Coast offense and turned a downtrodden team into a three-time champion. Walsh went 92-59-1 and won six division titles in 10 seasons. George Seifert took over in 1989 and led the 49ers to six more NFC West crowns and two more titles. He went 98-30 and matched Walsh with seven playoff appearances. Original coach Lawrence “Buck” Shaw led San Francisco to a 71-39-4 record and the 1949 AAFC title game. Steve Mariucci (57-39) followed Seifert and guided San Francisco to four playoffs and two division titles. Dick Nolan amassed a 54-53-5 record and two NFC Championship Game appearances in eight seasons. Jim Harbaugh went 44-19-1 in four years and led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII.
Quarterback: Hall of Famer Joe Montana won four championships (with three Super Bowl MVP awards), was a two-time league MVP (1989 and ’90), a seven-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro and the Comeback Player of the Year in 1986. “Joe Cool” is also the team’s all-time leader with 35,124 yards and 244 touchdowns and threw for 3,000 or more yards seven times. Steve Young took over for Montana and forged his own Hall of Fame career. He was NFL MVP in 1992 and ’94, won three titles (and was MVP of Super Bowl XXIX), was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro. He ranks second with 221 scoring passes and third with 29,907 yards. Young also ran for 3,581 yards and 37 touchdowns. John Brodie ranks second with 31,548 yards and third with 214 scores. The two-time Pro Bowler was the league MVP and an All-Pro in 1970, when he led the NFL with 2,941 yards and 24 touchdowns. Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle was a four-time Pro Bowler, and was the UPI MVP and an All-Pro in 1957. Jeff Garcia was a three-time Pro Bowler who threw for a club-record 4,278 yards in 2000.
Running Back: Five-time Pro Bowler Frank Gore is the team’s all-time leader with 11,073 yards and ranks second with 64 touchdowns. The Super Bowl XLVII participant ran for 1,000 yards or more eight times, including a franchise-best 1,695 in 2006. Roger Craig was one of the most dangerous backfield weapons in the 1980s. The three-time champion is third with 7,064 yards and 50 touchdowns. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and both the Offensive Player of the Year and an All-Pro in 1988, when he ran for 1,502 yards. Craig also ranks third with 508 catches to go with 4,412 receiving yards. A member of the “Million Dollar Backfield,” Hugh McElhenny was a Hall of Famer, a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro. “The King” finished with 4,288 yards and 35 scores in nine years. Garrison Hearst was a two-time Pro Bowler who ran for 5,535 yards, with four seasons of 1,000 or more. He missed 1999-2000 with avascular necrosis, but returned to win the Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2001. Ricky Watters made the Pro Bowl all three years in San Francisco and also appeared in Super Bowl XXIX.
Fullback: Hall of Famer Joe Perry is the franchise leader with 68 touchdowns and ranks second with 8,689 yards. The “Million Dollar Backfield” member was also a three-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, and he led the NFL in yards and scores three times each. Ken Willard was a four-time Pro Bowler who ranks fourth with 5,930 yards and 45 touchdowns. Two-time Pro Bowl selection J. D. Smith ran for 4,370 yards and 37 scores. Tom Rathman was Craig’s lead blocker and a two-time champion.
Wide Receiver: There can be no denying that Jerry Rice is the best in NFL history at the position. The Hall of Famer is also the league’s leader in all three receiving categories, totaling 1,281 catches, 19,247 yards and 176 touchdowns in 16 seasons in San Francisco. Rice was the Pro Football Writers’ Association MVP after a 22-score season in 1987 and was a two-time Offensive Player of the Year. He was a 12-time Pro Bowler, a 10-time All-Pro and a three-time champion (with a Super Bowl XXIII MVP Award for good measure). “World” led the NFL in yards and touchdowns six times each and receptions twice. Another Hall of Famer, Terrell Owens ranks second with 592 catches, 8,572 yards, and 81 scores. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro who also had five 1,000-yards seasons. Dwight Clark is third on the team list with 506 receptions and 6,750 yards to go with 48 touchdowns. The two-time Pro Bowler and 1982 All-Pro is best known for “The Catch,” which won the 1981 NFC Championship Game against Dallas. Gene Washington was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro who ranks third with 59 scores. He had 6,664 yards including a league-leading 1,100 in 1970. Billy Wilson was selected to six Pro Bowls and the All-Pro team in 1957. He ranks fourth with 49 touchdowns and led the NFL in receptions three times. John Taylor was a three-time champ and a two-time Pro Bowler who had a game-winning catch in Super Bowl XXIII.
Tight End: Vernon Davis tops the position with 441 receptions and 5,640 yards, and he ranks fifth in franchise history with 44 touchdowns. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl XLVII participant. Brent Jones is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time champion. He ranks second at the position with 417 catches, 5,195 yards, and 33 scores.
Tackle: Hall of Famer Bob St. Clair was selected to five Pro Bowls and played 119 games in 11 seasons. Len Rohde tied for third in team history with 208 games, and he made the Pro Bowl in 1970. Joe Staley was a six-time Pro Bowler who played 174 games and appeared in Super Bowl XLVII. Steve Wallace and Bubba Parris were both three-time champions, and Wallace was named a Pro Bowler in 1992. Harris Barton was a part of three title teams, was a two-time All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 1993.
Guard: Guy McIntyre was a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time champion. Randy Cross played in three Super Bowls and three Pro Bowls over 13 seasons. Howard Mudd was a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1968. Bruno Banducci was a two-time All-Pro, a Pro Bowler in 1954 and a participant in the 1949 AAFC Championship Game. Mike Iupati was a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in the 2012 Super Bowl season.
Center: Bruce Bosley was a four-time Pro Bowler who played 163 games in 13 years. Jesse Sapolu was a four-time champion and a two-time Pro Bowler. Forrest Blue was named to four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. Fed Quillan played in two Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls in 10 seasons. Bill Johnson played in two Pro Bowls and the 1949 AAFC title game. Jeremy Newberry was a two-time Pro Bowler in seven seasons.
Defensive End: Dwaine Board was a three-time champion who amassed 45 sacks in 10 years, including 13 in 1983. Justin Smith went to five Pro Bowls, was an All-Pro in 2011, appeared in Super Bowl XLVII and totaled 43½ sacks. Pierce Holt was a member of two title teams, registered 10½ sacks in 1989 and played in the Pro Bowl three years later. Tommy Hart appeared in the 1976 Pro Bowl and played 131 games in 10 seasons. Hall of Famer Chris Doleman played only three years with the team, but posted 38 sacks in that time, including 12 in the Pro Bowl 1997 season.
Defensive Tackle: Hall of Famer Leo Nomellini was a 10-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro who played 174 games. Bryant Young is the team’s all-time leader with 89½ sacks. The four-time Pro Bowler and 1996 All-Pro also registered 614 tackles. Dana Stubblefield was a Super Bowl champion and a three-time Pro Bowler. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1993 and an All-Pro four years later, when he tallied 15 of his 46½ sacks. Michael Carter was a three-time champion, a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1987. Charlie Krueger was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls and played in 198 games. Cleveland Elam was a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1977. DeForest Buckner made the All-Rookie Team in 2016 and was a Pro Bowler last year.
Outside Linebacker: Charles Haley is a Hall of Famer who ranks second in franchise history with 66½ sacks, including 16 in his 1990 All-Pro season. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time champion are also second with 14 forced fumbles. Another Hall of Famer, Dave Wilcox, was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro. Matt Hazeltine was a two-time Pro Bowler who ranks second with 16 fumbles recovered in 14 seasons. Keena Turner was a four-time champion who made the Pro Bowl in 1984. William “Skip” Vanderbundt totaled 14 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries in nine years. Ken Norton Jr. was a two-time Pro Bowler, a 1995 All-Pro and a Super Bowl XXIX champion who registered 579 tackles. Ahmad Brooks played in Super Bowl XLVII, was a Pro Bowler in 2013 and ranks third with 51½ sacks. Before legal issues ruined his promising career, Aldon Smith had 44 sacks in four years, including 19½ in 2012, when he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors and played in the Super Bowl.
Inside Linebacker: Patrick Willis was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro, a Super Bowl XLVII participant and the 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He tops team lists with 16 forced fumbles and 950 tackles, including six seasons with 100 or more and twice leading the league. His Super Bowl teammate NaVorro Bowman is a four-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler who ranks fourth with 709 tackles. Derek Smith is third in team history with 710 tackles, and he had 100 or more five times. Mike Walter was a three-time champion who played 134 games over nine seasons. Dan Bunz was a member of the 1978 All-Rookie Team, played in two Super Bowls and recovered 14 fumbles.
Cornerback: Jimmy Johnson was a five-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro who totaled a second-best 47 interceptions and 213 games played. Kermit Alexander ranks first with 23 fumbles recovered and third with 36 picks, including nine in his 1968 Pro Bowl season. Eric Wright is a four-time champion, a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1985. Bruce Taylor had 18 interceptions, was the 1970 Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl the following season. Don Griffin and Rex Barry each had 22 interceptions. Griffin was a two-time champion and a member of the 1986 All-Rookie Team. Berry returned three picks for touchdowns.
Safety: Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott was one of the hardest hitters in NFL history. The four-time champion is the team’s all-time leader with 51 interceptions, and he returned five of them for touchdowns. Lott, who split 10 seasons between left corner and free safety, was a nine-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro, and he ranks second with 721 tackles. Merton Hanks and Lowell Wagner each picked off 31 passes. Hanks was a four-time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro in 1995 and a participant in Super Bowl XXIX. Wagner played in the 1949 AAFC title game. Tim McDonald, had 20 interceptions, three scores, and 544 tackles. Jim Cason played in two Pro Bowls and totaled 25 picks, including a league-leading nine in the 1949 AAFC title game season. Dwight Hicks was a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time champion who totaled 30 interceptions. Hicks and his 49ers secondary band called “The Hot Licks” harassed receivers on the way to a title in 1984.
Kicker: Ray Wersching ranks second in team history with 979 points. The two-time champion had 100 or more points three times and a league-leading 131 in 1984. Mike Cofer also played in two Super Bowls. Among his 673 points are five years with 100 or more and an NFL-high 136 in his 1989 All-Pro season. Tommy Davis was a two-time Pro Bowler who had 738 points in 11 years and handled both kicking and punting duties.
Punter: Andy Lee was a three-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro and a Super Bowl XLVII participant. He had 3,000 or more yards in each of his 11 seasons with the team, and led the league in punts three times, yards twice and once with a 50.9-yard average in 2011. Tom Wittum played in two Pro Bowls and had two 3,000-yard seasons.
Returners: Abe Woodson is the team’s all-time leader with 4,873 kickoff return yards and five touchdowns. He led the NFL with 1,157 yards on kickoffs in 1962. Dexter Carter ranks second with 4,707 kick return yards and fourth with 1,213 punt return yards. Maurice Hicks is third with 4,242 yards on kickoff returns, including 1,428 yards in 2006 and 1,502 the next year. Dana McLemore tops the franchise list with 1,531 punt return yards and four touchdowns. In addition to his exploits as a receiver, John Taylor ranks second with 1,517 punt return yards, including a league-leading 556 in 1988.
Special Teams: Long snapper Brian Jennings is tied for third in team history with 208 games and made two Pro Bowls. Hall of Famer Fred Dean was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1981 as a special teams player and again two years later, when he had 17½ sacks.
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-By: Kevin Rakas