The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play their home games at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, located 38 miles (61 km) southeast of San Francisco. The team is named after the prospectors who arrived in Northern California in the 1849 Gold Rush.
Jerry Lee Rice is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter stints at the end of his career with the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed "World" because of his superb catching ability, his accomplishments and numerous records, Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in NFL history. His biography on the official Pro Football Hall of Fame website names him "the most prolific wide receiver in NFL history with staggering career totals". In 1999, The Sporting News listed Rice second behind Jim Brown on its list of "Football's 100 Greatest Players". In 2010, he was chosen by NFL Network's NFL Films production The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players as the greatest player in NFL history.
Robert Bruce St. Clair was an American professional football player who played 11 seasons as a tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). Known for his intelligence and towering size, at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) tall, St. Clair earned All-Pro honors nine times and is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played college football for the San Francisco Dons and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Fletcher Joseph Perry was an American professional football fullback who played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1948 to 1960, the Baltimore Colts from 1961 to 1962, and returned to the 49ers in 1963 for his final year in football. He was exceptionally fast, a trait uncommon for a fullback and one which earned him the nickname, "the Jet". The first African-American to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), he became one of American football's first black stars.
John Henry Johnson was an American professional football player who was a running back. He was known for his excellence at the fullback position as both a runner and a blocker. His first professional stint was in Canada in the Western Interprovincial Football Union for one season with the Calgary Stampeders. He then played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers before spending his final season in the American Football League (AFL) with the Houston Oilers. Commonly referred to as simply John Henry, an allusion to the folk hero of the same name, Johnson was a tough and tenacious player who performed at a high level well into the tail end of his career.
The 1959 NFL season marked the 40th regular season of the National Football League. It was the first season overseen by youthful commissioner Pete Rozelle, who was named to the position following the sudden death in October of commissioner Bert Bell.
David Wilcox was an American professional football player who was a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 through 1974. He was selected to play in seven Pro Bowls and was named All-NFL five times during his career. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Frank Cullen Albert was an American gridiron football player and coach. He played as a quarterback and punter with the San Francisco 49ers in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and later in National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Indians, where he led the 1940 football team to an undefeated season and the 1941 Rose Bowl.
Matthew Emory Hazeltine, Jr. was a professional American football linebacker who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants.
Gordon Leroy Soltau was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Mario Sean Clark is an American football cornerback who played for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Oregon.
Billy Wilson was an American football wide receiver who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1951 to 1960. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times.
Milton Bird McColl is an American physician and former football linebacker. He played college football at Stanford University and in the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1988, during which he played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1981 to 1987 and Los Angeles Raiders in 1988. With the 49ers, McColl appeared in Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX. He is the son of former Stanford and NFL end Bill McColl.
David Walter Sparks was an American football player. He played professionally as a guard and tackle in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers in 1951 and the Washington Redskins in 1954. Sparks played college football at the University of North Carolina and was selected in the 15th round of the 1951 NFL Draft by the 49ers.
Roger Nelson was an American and Canadian football offensive tackle and guard. He played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Edmonton Eskimos from 1954 to 1967 and was a part of two Grey Cup winning teams for the Eskimos. Nelson played college football at the University of Oklahoma and was drafted in the fourteenth round of the 1954 NFL Draft.
Frank Joseph Morze, Jr. was an American football center and tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns.
The 1989 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 40th in the National Football League (NFL), their 44th overall and their 1st season under head coach George Seifert. After going 14–2 in the regular season, the 49ers completed the season with one of the most dominant playoff runs of all time, outscoring opponents 126–26, earning their fourth Super Bowl victory and their second consecutive, where they defeated the Broncos, 55–10. They finished with the best record in the NFL for the first time since 1987. Their two losses were by a combined 5 points.
The 1984 San Francisco 49ers season was their 39th season in the National Football League (NFL). The season was highlighted by their second Super Bowl victory. The franchise had its best season ever, with a record of 15 wins and only 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback Joe Montana would be awarded the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player Award for the second time in his career, joining Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw as the only two-time Super Bowl MVPs.
John Patrick Varone was an American professional Canadian football player who played as a halfback and fullback, as well as a linebacker. Varone played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League from 1958 to 1959.
The Million Dollar Backfield was a National Football League (NFL) offensive backfield of the San Francisco 49ers from 1954 to 1956. Featuring quarterback Y. A. Tittle, halfbacks Hugh McElhenny and John Henry Johnson, and fullback Joe Perry, the backfield was also referred to as the "Fabulous Foursome" and "Fearsome Foursome" by sportswriters. Formed well before players earned six-figure salaries, the unit was named as such for its offensive prowess, and compiled record offensive statistics. It is regarded as one of the best backfields compiled in NFL history, and is the only full house backfield to have all four of its members enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
