san francisco 49ers founder

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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERSin the NFC in gross average and boomed an 81-yard puntagainst Tampa Bay (11-21-04) which was the longest of2004 and the fourth-longest in team history. Another rookie,S Keith Lewis, also made his presence felt as he became thefirst player in 49er history to block a punt, force a fumble andrecover a fumble in the same season. Lewis was able to accomplishthis trifecta on only special teams plays.2005 - The San Francisco 49ers faced a tremendousamount of adversity during the 2005 campaign under newHead Coach Mike Nolan, but utilized both the highs andlows of the 2005 season as opportunities to grow and improve.With a mix of veteran experience and young talent,the team doubled their win total from 2004 with a 4-12 record,including a series sweep over NFC West division rivalSt. Louis, a home win against playoff contender Tampa Bay,and a nail-biting overtime victory in the 2005 season finaleagainst Houston. The 49ers also made a historic trip toMexico City to play NFC West division rival Arizona in front ofan NFL-record 103,467 fans. Even though the 49ers lost aleague-high 101 games by starters, including three of thefour starters in the secondary, there were many individualand team bright spots, including strong showings from fiveplayers who started every game in 2005 (LB Derek Smith, NTAnthony Adams, G Justin Smiley, T Kwame Harris and C/GEric Heitmann). Of the 11 original 2005 draft selections, 10went on to spend the 2005 season on the 49ers roster andcontributed on offense, defense and special teams. Six of the10 started in some capacity throughout the season (RB FrankGore, QB Alex Smith, G David Baas, T Adam Snyder, TE BillyBajema and CB Derrick Johnson). On offense, four differentquarterbacks saw time under center. The most experiencedof the four in the quarterback rotation, Tim Rattay, took theinitial starting reins and led the 49ers to a 28-25 openingday victory against St. Louis. Shortly after, first overall draftpick Alex Smith made his professional debut, stepping in torelieve Rattay at Arizona in Mexico City. With the eventualtrade of Rattay in Week 7 to Tampa Bay, and a knee injury toSmith, both Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett also stepped in tocall plays in the pocket. Smith returned to the starting lineupand gained valuable playing experience, seeing action in ninegames with seven starts while showing outstanding poiseand maturity in the pocket. WR Brandon Lloyd led the aerialattack with 48 catches for 733 yards including five touchdownsfrom four different quarterbacks. WR Arnaz Battle alsogained ground after rebounding from a knee injury, averaging11.3 yards per catch while snagging three touchdowns.On the ground, RB’s Kevan Barlow, Frank Gore and MauriceHicks all chipped in 100-yard single-game performancesand three touchdowns each. Gore had a stellar first seasonwhile pacing all 49ers rushers with 127 carries for 608 yards.After losing C Jeremy Newberry and LT Jonas Jennings toinjuries, the offensive line was able to develop some consistencyin the second half of the season with rookie LT AdamSndyer and rookie G David Baas making significant strides asstarters. Eric Heitmann also held strong as both a guard andcenter. Defensively, veteran leader DE Bryant Young led theteam with eight sacks (including three multi-sack contests),his most since 2000. His 77.5 sacks put him into third placeon the 49ers all-time sack leader list. For his stellar performance,Young was voted by his teammates as the 49ersrecipient of the Len Eshmont and Ed Block Courage Awards.Also paving the way was LB Derek Smith, whose 163 tacklesled the 49ers, his fifth straight time to pace the unit. Theteam’s co-MVP/Bill Walsh Award winner also notched hisninth straight 100-yard campaign. In the absence of an injuredJeff Ulbrich, LB Brandon Moore responded by finishingsecond on defense with career highs in tackles (93), sacks(5), interceptions (1) and fumble recoveries (1). Before hewas lost for the season with a fractured fibula, S Tony Parrishpicked off two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.His teammates, CBs Mike Adams and Shawntae Spencerled the team with four interceptions and a touchdown returneach. The special teams unit played a big part in theteam’s scoring efforts as co-MVP Bill Walsh Award winnerK Joe Nedney accounted for 97 49ers points off of 28 fieldgoals (including a 56-yard career long) and 19 extra points.P Andy Lee’s three touchbacks in 107 punts placed him withthe third-best ratio of touchbacks-to-punts among punterswith 30 or more kicks in 2005. Special teams ace TerryJackson stayed true to his form by leading the coverage unitwith 21 tackles. And rookie return man Otis Amey got theseason off to an electrifying start after returning a 75-yardpunt for a touchdown in the season opener against St. Louis.Amey became the fifth 49ers rookie to return a punt for atouchdown and the first to do so on his first-ever return.He also became the second 49ers player (behind WR NateSingleton) to score a touchdown on his first touch.2006 - Under the direction of second-year Head CoachMike Nolan, the 49ers continued to build a framework forsuccess – that included utilizing young talent sprinkled withenough veteran leadership to mentor and keep the groupheading in the right direction. After a 4-12 campaign in2005, the 49ers significantly increased their win total toseven and closed the year with two, morale-boosting roadwins in Seattle and Denver to finish 7-9. The organizationpicked up some key free agents prior to the start of the2006 season, including All-Pro and future Hall of Fame GLarry Allen, speedy playmaker CB Walt Harris and 13-yearNFL veteran and proven Super Bowl winner QB Trent Dilfer.Their acquisitions paid immediate dividends. Allen and Harrisjoined second-year RB Frank Gore at the Pro Bowl to markthe 24th time in club history the team has been represented,and Dilfer served as a sturdy mentor to second-year startingQB Alex Smith. The 49ers also added talent through the draft,picking up nine immediate contributors. Eight of the ninedraft picks (TE Vernon Davis, LB Manny Lawson, WR BrandonWilliams, RB Michael Robinson, DE/LB Parys Haralson,TE Delanie Walker, S Marcus Hudson and DE Melvin Oliver)saw action during the season while three (Davis, Lawson andOliver) were starters. Offensively, the 49ers grew by leapsand bounds, largely in part to the schemes and game plansrun by new Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner. QB Alex Smithbegan to flourish under Turner’s guidance and became thefirst-ever 49ers quarterback to take every snap for the entireregular season while showing dramatic improvement inyear two. He set career highs in every offensive category andled the 49ers to a fourth-quarter comeback win (24-14)in Seattle in his first career primetime game. C Eric Heit-
mann held strong under center, serving as the line’s vocaland emotional leader and Bobb McKittrick Award winner.Leading the offensive production was RB Frank Gore, whoplowed behind the line and new free agent FB Moran Norrisen route to setting a franchise-record 1,695 rushing yards,tops in the NFC, and another record 2,180 combined yards.His 212-yard performance against Seattle was the highestsingle-game rushing total in 49ers history and was one ofnine 100-yard rushing performances on the season. Gorewas voted the team’s co-MVP/Bill Walsh Award winner andEd Block Courage Award recipient. Also chipping in wasrookie TE Vernon Davis, who scored on his first NFL touch,a 31-yard touchdown catch in the season opener at Arizona.The defensive unit overcame some early struggles andimproved significantly during the second half of the season.LB Brandon Moore led the unit in tackles (114) and sacks(6.5) in his first year as a full-time starter. Consummateveterans LB Derek Smith (93 tackles), DT Marques Douglas(75 tackles, three sacks) and seven-time Len EshmontAward winner DE Bryant Young (60 tackles, 5.5 sacks) ledthe group up front while CB Walt Harris and S Keith Lewis(72 tackles, two interceptions, one sack) proved to be new,impact presences in the secondary. Harris finished with onesack and a career-high eight interceptions including a 28-yard touchdown return at Denver. Rookie LB Manny Lawsonwrapped his inaugural campaign with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks,one interception and a blocked punt while rookie DE MelvinOliver had 50 stops, one sack and a 12-yard fumble returnfor a touchdown. On special teams, K Joe Nedney amassed116 points, the second-highest total of his career and eighthmost in team history. Nedney was also successful on threeonsides kicks. RB Maurice Hicks continued to play a key rolein the special teams effort. He led the unit with 20 tackles,one fumble recovery and also returned 57 kickoffs fora franchise record 1,428 yards, third best in the NFC. Alsomaking a difference on the special teams unit was rookie RBMichael Robinson, who finished with 16 stops and a 33-yardreturn for a first down on a fake punt at Seattle.2007 - Head coach Mike Nolan and his team entered the2007 season believing that anything less than the playoffswould be a disappointment. Unfortunately, the team fellfar short of that mark with an overall 5-11 record as fourdifferent quarterbacks took the helm of the 49ers offense.49ers fans did experience some highlights in 2007, includinganother 1,000-yard rushing season for RB Frank Gore anda stellar season by LB Patrick Willis. The 49ers top pick outof Ole Miss won Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowlhonors. Willis was also the only NFL rookie to be named All-Pro in 2007, becoming the first 49ers defensive rookie toearn the honor since CB Ronnie Lott in 1981. His 226 tackleswas an unofficial NFL record and Willis earned numerousadditional accolades. P Andy Lee joined Willis at the Pro Bowlas he put together one of the greatest punting season in NFLhistory. Lee set an NFL record for punts downed inside the20-yard line with 42, while ranking second in gross puntingaverage (47.3) and net punting average (41.0) behind Oakland’sP Shane Lechler. The 49ers went 2-1 in primetimegames in 2007, winning the season opener on Monday NightFootball against the Arizona Cardinals and defeating the CincinnatiBengals on a Saturday night game in December. QBAlex Smith started the season with a 2-1 record before experiencinga shoulder injury in the fourth game of the seasonagainst Seattle. He eventually was placed on Injured Reservein December and underwent surgery. QB Trent Dilfer steppedin for Smith and led the team with 1,166 passing yards on113-of-219 passing. Dilfer eventually would suffer a concussionvs. Minnesota (12-9), and QB Shaun Hill replacedthe veteran in Week 13 of the season. Hill was sharp duringhis three games of action, completing 54-of-79 passes for501 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. However,Hill would also succumb to injury, being sidelined with aback injury for the season finale. QB Chris Weinke saw actionin the final game of the season. Despite inconsistency on offense,the 49ers special teams unit was among the league’smost elite in 2007. K Joe Nedney connected on 17-of-19field goal attempts, while Lee booted 49 punts of 50 or moreyards (16 more than any other punter). The 49ers punt coverageunit ranked ninth in the NFL, holding returners to 7.6yards per return. At the conclusion of the season, one of theall-time great 49ers, DT Bryant Young, retired from the NFLafter 14 seasons with San Francisco. Young led the 49erswith 6.5 sacks and finished with 89.5 sacks for his career,which is third on the 49ers all-time sack list behind CedrickHardman and Tommy Hart. He earned his eighth Len EshmontAward, given to the player who best exemplifies theinspirational and courageous play of Len Eshmont, who wasan original member of the 1946 team.2008 - The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2008 seasonfollowing a simple mantra, ‘One game at a time.’ Throughoutthe year, 49ers players and coaches experienced severaltransitions and tribulations, but did not allow their minds tolinger in the past, nor venture too far into the future. The focusedapproach proved effective as the team won five of itsfinal seven games to close out the season. After a promising2-1 start to the year, San Francisco dropped four straightcontests before making a change at head coach. In his fourthseason at the helm of the 49ers, Mike Nolan was replacedby assistant head coach/linebackers coach Mike Singletary.Upon accepting the position, Singletary said the foundationwas in place to take the team to the ‘next level.’ The responseby his players and staff proved positive as the 49ersfinished with a 5-4 record under Singletary’s direction.Immediately following the conclusion of the season finaleagainst Washington, team President Jed York announcedto onlooking players and coaches in the locker room thatSingletary would remain the 49ers head coach moving forward.The quarterback position was one of the first areasthat Singletary addressed when taking over for Nolan midwaythrough the 2008 season. QB J.T. O’Sullivan started thefirst eight games of the year and showed an ability to makebig plays, but costly turnovers proved to be problematic forthe signal-caller. O’Sullivan was replaced at the end of thefirst half of Singletary’s first game as head coach againstSeattle. Singletary later announced QB Shaun Hill would takeover the starting role for the remainder of the season. Themove appeared to be the right one as Hill went on to post a5-3 record and a 87.5 overall passer rating. While Hill madehis season debut midway through the year, RB Frank Gore
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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERSFOUNDERAnthony J
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LEN ESHMONT AWARDThe Len Eshmont Aw
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GARRY NIVER AWARDThe Garry Niver Aw
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NFC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR199
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49ERS IN THE HALL OF FAME1969-DT Le
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2000-LB Dave Wilcox (1964-74). Nick
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PRO BOWL 49ERS1950 (Jan. 14, 1951)F
Page 15 and 16: ALL-PRO 49ERS1946 — Alyn Beals E
Page 17 and 18: 1995 — Merton Hanks FS (First Tea
Page 19 and 20: UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS SIGNED—
Page 21 and 22: 49ERS TRADE HISTORY1950HB Emil Sitk
Page 23 and 24: 1984DT Louie Kelcher from San Diego
Page 25 and 26: All-Time Alphabetical RosterALast F
Page 27 and 28: Last First Position College Years J
Page 45 and 46: 62 Art Michalik/69 Bob HantlaRT 76
Page 47 and 48: 45 Elbert Kimbrough (3)RH 40 Abe Wo
Page 49 and 50: 77 Jean Barrett (2)RT 79 Cas Banasz
Page 51 and 52: LCB 42 Ronnie Lott (12)RCB 21 Eric
Page 53 and 54: 26 Mike McGruder* (1)LCB 25 Eric Da
Page 55 and 56: RCB 24 Mike Rumph (13)SS 33 Tony Pa
Page 57 and 58: 1965 - Outstanding offensive perfor
Page 59 and 60: 1983 - For the second time in three
Page 61 and 62: Championship Game for the second ti
Page 63 and 64: to rush for 1,000 yards since 1992.
Page 65: tory. The 49ers finished the season
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