Top 10 San Francisco 49ers of All Time

SI Staff | Jan 25, 2013

Top 10 San Francisco 49ers of All Time /

Top 10 San Francisco 49ers of All Time

Bryant Young

A Niners lifer, Young started 208 games, making 276 tackles and 89.5 sacks to throw his hat in the ring with the best 49ers defensive linemen in history. Oh, and he helped the Red and Gold win a Super Bowl in his rookie year.

Bob St. Clair

His teammates called him "The Geek," but no one was going to stuff this guy in a locker. Channeling his power and strength, St. Clair was often used to block, especially in goal-line situations. The 49ers' captain from 1957 to '59, he got into politics as his football career wound down due to injuries, even acting as the Mayor of Daly City, Calif., from '61 to '62.

Hugh McElhenny

A thrill runner from day one with the Niners, the halfback recorded the longest run from scrimmage (89 yards) and longest punt return (94 yards) on his way to 1952 Rookie of the Year honors. When he retired in 1964, having moved on to Minnesota, New York and Detroit, he had rung up 11,375 total yards (over six miles!)

Dave Wilcox

Nicknamed "The Intimidator," the converted outside linebacker prided himself on not being blocked and keeping tight ends on the line of scrimmage. Tallying 104 solo tackles, four forced fumbles and 13 tackles for a loss in 1973, Wilcox even made use of his speed and long reach to collect 14 career interceptions.

Leo Nomellini

The indestructible Italian was an ever-present thorn in his challengers' sides, not once missing a game for the 49ers from his first in 1950 to his last in 1963. "The Lion" is one of the few players to be recognized as All-NFL for his play on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Jimmy Johnson

Jimmy Johnson was best known as a feared man-to-man defender, and QBs rarely threw into his defensive territory. That didn't stop him from intercepting 49 passes for 615 yards in his 16-season career. The brother of world decathlon champion Rafer Johnson, Jimmy even played as an offensive receiver in 1962, racking up 627 yards from 34 receptions for four touchdowns.

Steve Young

The heir to Joe Montana got off to an bad start, entering the league by the hand of Tampa Bay through the supplemental draft in 1984. The Bucs traded him to San Francisco in '87, where he trained as the backup QB. He took his chance at the starting spot in '91, passing for 2,517 yards and 17 touchdowns and winning the first of four consecutive passing titles. He'd add two more in '96 and '97 to tie Sammy Baugh as the only quarterbacks with six NFL passing titles.

Ronnie Lott

Lott was said to have an almost telepathic ability to sense what direction a play was about to go. Joining the Niners in 1981, he would excel in three positions (cornerback, free safety and strong safety), making 63 interceptions to twice lead the league and passing the 1,000-career tackle mark in 1993, a year after leaving San Francisco.

Joe Montana

The master of late-game dramatics, the Niners QB came from humble beginnings as a third-round pick in the 1979 draft. He went on to breathe his "Montana Magic" into 49ers teams until 1992, leading them to wins in Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIV along the way and picking up 39 games with 300 yards and two NFL passing titles in the process.

Jerry Rice

Widely regarded as the best wide receiver in NFL history, Rice was drafted by the 49ers in 1985 and went on to spend 16 years in San Francisco. After a solid rookie season, 1986 marked his first of 11 straight seasons with over 1,000 yards. He holds several receiving records including 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and his 20 seasons played are more than any other NFL wide receiver in history.

Published Jan 25, 2013

SI STAFF