Photo Credit: https://1000logos.net/49ers-logo/)
by Carrie Birdsong
Owner(s): York Family (majority)
2. John York (co-chairs)(5)
CEO: Jed York
General Manager: John Lynch
Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan
Team History: San Francisco 49ers (1946 – Present)
Team Nicknames: Niners
Championships:
1. League Championships (5):
2. Super Bowl Championships (5):
- 1981 (XVI), 1984 (XIX), 1988 (XXIII),
1989 (XXIV), 1994 (XXIX)
Conference Championships (8):
- NFC 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012, 2019, 2023
Division Championships (22):
NFC West
- 1970, 1971, 1972, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987,
1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997,
2002, 2011, 2012, 2019, 2022, 2023
Playoff Appearances (30):
1. AAFC 1949
2. NFL
- 1957, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1981, 1983, 1984,
1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992,
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001,
2002, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022,
2023
Home Fields:
1. Kezar Stadium (1946 – 1970)
2. Candlestick Park (1971 – 2013)
3. Levi’s Stadium (2014 – Present)
Temporary Stadiums:
1. 1989 due to the Loma Prieta earthquake:
2. Stanford Stadium (one game)
3. 2020 due to restrictions related to the Covid-19
pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area:(5)
4. State Farm Stadium (three games)
Team Owner(s):
1. Tony Morabito (1944 – 1957)
2. Morabito Estate (1957 – 1977)
3. Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. (1977 – 2000)
4. John and Denise DeBartolo York (2000 – Present)
The San Francisco 49ers have won five NFL championships – all Super Bowls. They were the first team to win five Super Bowls (Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX). They are considered “The Team of the Eighties”, winning four Super Bowls in the decade. Prior to the 1980’s, the 49ers had never won an NFL championship (they did not even win a division title until 1970). During the 1980’s, they failed to make the playoffs only twice – in 1980, and again in the strike shortened 1982 season which saw them go 0 – 5 at home and 3 – 1 on the road – the only time in NFL history that a team went winless at home while winning more than half its away games in the same season.
Franchise HistoryThe Early Years (1946 – 1979)
1946 – 1949: Beginnings in the AAFC
The 49ers entered professional football in 1946 as a member of the All-America Football Conference. They were founded by lumber magnate Tony Morabito, who had tried several times to get an NFL team for the Bay Area, together with Allen E. Sorrell and Ernest J. Turre. Morabito was one of the first to realize that with the advent of air travel, truly national professional sports leagues were now possible. Indeed, the 49ers were the very first team in the four major sports to originate on the west coast.
The 49ers could never unseat the dominant Cleveland Browns, and had the misfortune of being in the same conference as the Browns. Nonetheless, they were clearly the second-strongest franchise in the AAFC both on and off the field. Thus, along with the Browns and the first Baltimore Colts, they were granted admission to the National Football League in 1950.
The team’s name came from the California Gold Rush gold-seekers who came to the San Francisco area during 1849.
The 49ers’ first game as a member of the NFL was a home match against the New York Yanks on September 17th, 1950. San Francisco lost 21 – 17. Unlike the Cleveland Browns, who won the championship that year, the 49ers struggled in the NFL, finishing the 1950 season 3 – 9. In 1951, they would do much better, with a 7 – 4 – 1 season and nearly reaching the championship game. The 1952 season saw seven wins and five losses. With a 9 – 3 record, San Francisco had its best season yet in 1953, but a loss to the Lions kept them from the championship match. Injuries in 1954 caused a 7 – 4 – 1 finish. More injuries (notably to running back Hugh McElhenny) caused the 49ers to fall to a losing 4 – 8 the following year. With former quarterback Frankie Albert taking over as head coach in 1956, the team went 5 – 6 – 1. This period was most notable for the destructive on-field antics of linebacker Hardy Brown, traded from Washington in 1952. Brown established a fearsome reputation for injuring players by ramming them with his shoulder during his five years on the 49ers roster.
In 1957, the 49ers would enjoy their first sustained success as members of the NFL. After losing the opening game of the season, the 49ers won their next three against the Rams, Bears, and Packers before returning home to Kazar Stadium for a game against the Chicago Bears. The 49ers fell behind the Bears 17 – 7. 49ers owner Tony Morabito collapsed of a heart attack and died during the game. The 49ers players learned of his death during halftime when Coach Frankie Albert was handed a note with two words: “Tony’s gone.” With tears running down their faces, and motivated to win for their departed owner, the 49ers scored 14 unanswered points to win the game, 21 – 17. Dicky Moegle’s late-game interception in the endzone sealed the victory.
On November 3rd, 1957, the 49ers hosted the Detroit Lions, a game which has gone down in local lore as featuring arguably the greatest pass play (along with Dwight Clark’s “The Catch” in 1981). With 10 seconds remaining, 49ers ball on the Lions 41, Detroit leading 31 – 28, Y.A. Tittle threw a desperation pass into the end zone, right into the arms of high – leaping R.C. Ownes. The play became famously known as the “Alley Oop”. Ironically, the two men covering Owens would later become 49ers coaches: Jack Christiansen, head coach of the 49ers from 1963 to 1967, and Jim David, a secondary coach for Christiansen from 1964 to 1966.
The 49ers would end that season with three straight victories and an 8 – 4 record, tying the Detroit Lions for the NFL Western Division title, and setting up a one-game divisional playoff in San Francisco. The 49ers got off to a fast start, and in the third quarter led 27 – 7. The Lions, led by quarterback Tobin Rote, who earlier in the season had replaced an injured Bobby Layne, would mount one of the biggest comebacks in NFL history and defeat the 49ers, 31 – 27. Had they won the game, the 49ers would have hosted the NFL Championship game the following weekend against the Cleveland Browns. As it happened, the Lions wound up beating the Browns 59 – 14.
For most of the next 13 years, the 49ers would be an average team. Frankie Albert resigned as head coach after a 6 – 6, 1958 season, and was replaced by Red Hickey. He led them to a 7 – 5 campaign in 1959, and again in 1960. Key players for these 49ers included running back Ken Willard, quarterback John Brodie, and offensive lineman Bruce Bosley.
1960’sDuring this time, the 49ers became the first NFL team to use the shotgun formation. It was named by the man who actually devised the formation, Red Hickey. The formation, in which the quarterback lines up seven yards behind the center, was designed to allow the quarterback extra time to throw the ball. The formation was used for the first time in 1960 and enabled the 49ers to beat the Baltimore Colts, who were not familiar with the formation.
In 1961, primarily using the shotgun, the 49ers got off to a fast 4 – 1 start, including two shutouts in back – to – back weeks. In their sixth game they faced the Chicago Bears, who, by moving players (e.g., linebackers) closer to the line of scrimmage and rushing the quarterback, were able to defeat the shotgun and shut out the 49ers, 31 – 0. Though the 49ers went 3 – 5 – 1 the rest of the way, the shotgun would eventually become a component of most teams’ offenses, and is is formation used by football teams at all levels. The 49ers won six games that year. They won only one game at Kezar Stadium while on the road they won 5 of 7 games (the NFL expanded to a 14 – game season that year).
was over the eventual champion Packers. Coach Jack Christiansen was fired after a 7 – 7 1967 season, which saw the team go on a six – game losing streak after a promising 5 – 1 start.
Louis “Lou” Spadia, who had been general manager of the 49ers since the early 1950’s, continued in that role for the Morabito widows throughout the worst times of the team and into the more successful early 1970’s.
For the 1968 season, the 49ers hired as their head coach Dick Nolan, who had been Tom Landry’s defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. Nolan’s first two seasons with the 49ers went much the same as the previous decade, with the 49ers going 7 – 6 – 1 and 4 – 8 – 2.
The 1970 49ers started out the 1970 season 7 – 1 – 1, their only loss a one – point defeat to Atlanta. After losses to Detroit and Los Angeles, the 49ers won their next two games before the season finale against the Oakland Raiders. Going into the game the 49ers had a half – game lead on the Los Angeles Rams and needed either a win or the Giants to defeat the Rams in their finale to give the 49ers their first ever divisional title.
The 49ers won their divisional playoff game, 17 – 14 against the defending conference champion Minnesota Vikings, thus setting up a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC Championship. In what would be the final home game for the 49ers at Kezar Stadium the 49ers kept up with the Cowboys before losing 17 – 10, thus giving the Cowboys their first conference championship.
The 49ers sent five players to the Pro Bowl that season, including MVP veteran quarterback John Brodie, wide receiver Gene Washington, and linebacker Dave Wilcox. Nolan was also named NFL Coach of the Year for 1970.
Following the 1970 season the 49ers moved from Kezar Stadium to Candlestick Park. Despite being located on the outskirts of the city, Candlestick Park gave the 49ers a much more modern facility with more amenities that was easier for fans to access by highway.
The 49ers won their second straight divisional title in 1971 with a 9 – 5 record. The 49ers again won their divisional playoff game against the Washington Redskins by a 24 – 20 final score. This set up a rematch against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, this time to be played in Dallas. Though the defense again held the Cowboys in check, the 49ers offense was ineffective and the eventual Super Bowl champion Cowboys beat the 49ers again, 14 – 3.
In 1971, eight 49ers made the Pro Bowl, including defensive back Jimmy Johnson and Gene Washington, both for the second year in a row, as well as defensive end Cedric Hardman, running back Vic Washington, and offensive lineman Forrest Blue.
The 49ers won their third consecutive NFC West championship in 1972 with five wins in their last six games, making them the only franchise to win their first three divisional titles after the 1970 AFL – NFL merger. Their opponents in the divisional playoffs would again be the Dallas Cowboys, making it the third consecutive year the teams faced each other in the playoffs.
Vic Washington took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score, and the 49ers took a 21 – 6 lead in the second quarter. After the 49ers took a 28 – 13 lead in the 4th quarter, Tom Landry sent quarterback Roger Staubach, who was backing up Craig Morton, into the game. Staubach quickly led the Cowboys on a drive to a field goal, bringing the score to 28 – 16, and as the game wound down it appeared to be that would be all the Cowboys would get. However, the Cowboys would complete the comeback all in the last two minutes. Just after the two – minute warning Staubach found Billy Parks for a touchdown to bring the score to 28 – 23. Needing an onside kick to have a realistic chance at a game – winning touchdown, Cowboys kicker Toni Fritsch executed a successful onside kick, with the ball going back to the Cowboys. With the 49ers on the ropes, Staubach completed the comeback with a touchdown pass to Ron Sellers giving the Cowboys a dramatic 30 – 28 victory and sending the 49ers to yet another crushing playoff defeat.
The defeat would have a chilling effect on the 49ers, as they failed to make the playoffs for the next eight seasons.
In 1974, the 49ers drafted Wilbur Jackson from the University of Alabama to be the team’s primary back. Jackson enjoyed a fine rookie year, leading the 49ers with 705 yards rushing. He and fellow running back Larry Schreiber combined for over 1,300 yards rushing. With Steve Spurrier injured and missing nearly the entire year, the 49ers did not have a regular quarterback but did put together a respectable 6 – 8 record. Following the season, longtime tight end Ted Kwalick left the 49ers to join the World Football League (he would join the Oakland Raiders upon the WFL’s dissolution).
The 49ers dropped to 5 – 9 in what would be Dick Nolan’s final season as coach in 1975, the 49ers losing their final four games of the season. Wilbur Jackson was hurt much of the year and Delvin Williams led the 49ers in rushing with 631 yards rushing.
Following the 1975 season the 49ers traded for New England Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett, former Heisman Trophy winner from nearby Stanford University (which was also the alma mater of John Brodie). Though Plunkett had shown promise with the Patriots, he had not won there and it was thought that he needed a change of scenery. Monte Clark was also brought on as 49ers head coach.
The 49ers were led by one of the best running games in the NFL in 1976. Delvin Williams emerged as an elite back, gaining over 1,200 yards rushing and would make the Pro Bowl. Wilbur Jackson also enjoyed a resurgence, rushing for 792 yards. Again, Gene Washington was the team’s leading receiver with 457 yards receiving and six scores.
The 49ers started the season 6 – 1 for their best start since 1970. Most of the wins were against second – tier teams, although the 49ers did shut out the Rams 16 – 0, in Los Angeles on Monday Night Football. In that game the 49ers recorded 10 sacks, including 6 by Tommy Hart. However, the 49ers lost four games in a row, including two against divisional rivals Los Angeles and Atlanta that proved fatal to their playoff hopes. Despite finishing the season with a winning record of 8 – 6, Clark was fired after just one season by general manager Joe Thomas, who would oversee the worst stretch of football in the team’s history.
1978
The 1978 season was a disaster for the 49ers, as they finished 2 – 14, their only wins coming against the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Simpson indeed led the team in rushing, but with less than 600 yards. It had become apparent that Simpson’s knees and body were shot, and he was clearly near the end of his career. Wilbur Jackson also missed the entire season due to injury. Even worse for the franchise was that the first pick of the 1979 draft that they would have had was traded to the Bills as part of the O.J. Simpson deal. Thomas was fired following the season.(1)
However, some of the key players that would be part of the 49ers stunning rise to emergence would begin their 49ers career in 1978. Rookie quarterback Steve DeBerg, who would be Joe Montana’s first mentor, was the 49ers starting quarterback. Running back Paul Hofer and center/guard Randy Cross also started with the 49ers in 1978.
