Henry Roldán
Being a winning team means having some of the best players in history on its roster. The San Francisco 49ers’ five Super Bowl rings are the second most in the NFL and, therefore, during those great performances many players added important records that keep them in the memory of the organization’s most loyal fans. Therefore, here is a list of the five best players in the history of the red and gold franchise.
5.- Best San Francisco 49ers Players of All Time: Dwight Clark (WR)
When you look up Clark’s numbers you’ll probably wonder why you saw him on this important list, because beyond once leading the circuit in receptions, his numbers are within the league average.
However, if you ask any 49ers fan, chances are Clark is one of their favorites, especially for those who had the luxury of seeing, during the 1981 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys, that wide receiver’s catch of a Joe Montana pass. Thanks to that spectacular play, almost with the game time expired, San Francisco got a ticket to the Super Bowl and it ended up being one of the most iconic plays in history to the point that it is called “The Catch”.
That year the 49ers won the first of their five Super Bowls with Clark as the star player. Likewise, the receiver was important in the Lombardi Trophy won in 1984, so there was no reason for him to enter our list of the best players in history.
It is worth noting that his number 87 is in the 49ers’ retired players’ pavilion.
4.- Best San Francisco 49ers Players of All Time: Ronnie Lott (CB/S)
Usually, corners and depth players are relegated on many important lists, but in Lott’s case, it is impossible to leave him out of the best players in 49ers history.
Selected by San Francisco in the first round of the 1981 Draft, Lott made a big impact in his first season as a cornerback by totaling seven interceptions as a rookie. He played that position for five seasons until he was moved to deep, where he led the circuit in interceptions with 10 in 1986.
In his 10 seasons with the 49ers (of the 14 he played in the NFL), Lott became the leader of a defense that won eight division titles and four Super Bowl titles. Within the organization, he is still the leader in interceptions (51), touchdowns returned for interceptions (5) and yards returned after an interception (643).
In addition, wearing that uniform he played nine Pro-Bowl games, was selected five times to the All-Pro team, and was part of the teams of the ’80s and ’90s, his number 42 is retired by San Francisco and in 2000 he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
3.- Best San Francisco 49ers Players of All Time: Steve Young (QB)
How Young began his career has nothing to do with how he ended it. From playing in the USFL and being a real disaster with the Buccaneers to winning two Super Bowl as Joe Montana’s backup and then winning himself a Lombardi Trophy for the 49ers as the successor to the historic quarterback.
Young came to San Francisco, via trade, in the 1987 season. He immediately became Montana’s pupil and in 1991, when it was his turn to be a starter due to Joe’s injury, he did not waste the opportunity. That good impression helped him start 1992 as the number one position and led the team to a 14-2 divisional title and his first league MVP trophy.
From then on he would not stop dazzling and in 1994 he led the 49ers to win a new Super Bowl ring and in turn would win his second NFL Most Valuable Player award.
Young led the NFL five times in pass completion percentage, four in a row. Five times he finished with the highest rating for a quarterback, four times he was first in touchdowns, participated in seven Pro Bowls, appeared on three All-Pro teams, his number eight is retired by the 49ers and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
2.- Best San Francisco 49ers Players of All Time: Joe Montana (QB)
Montana could easily be one of the most iconic figures in NFL history. His performance in the 80’s set the tone in American soccer and his sympathy made even the rivals love him. Not for nothing was he called “Joe Cool”.
The quarterback, selected in the third round of the 1979 Draft, played his first season as a starter in 1981. That same year he would prove what he was made of by winning the first of four Super Bowl rings. This feat was repeated in 1984, 1988 and 1989.
Among his most important moments are several plays in the Super Bowl, such as the famous “The Catch”, made by Clark, of which we spoke earlier, or a 92-yard touchdown with less than 40 seconds left in the game, which would give the 49ers the victory in the 1988 Super Bowl. If that wasn’t enough, Montana was never intercepted in 122 passes in Super Bowl games, a record that still stands today.
The Hall of Famer since 2000 also won two NFL MVP awards, three times was the Super Bowl MVP, in 1989 was awarded Offensive Player of the Year, participated in eight Pro-Bowls, was selected to three All-Pro teams and his number 16 is retired by the organization.
1.- Best San Francisco 49ers Players of All Time: Jerry Rice (WR)
Among the impressive array of players who have donned the red and gold uniform of the 49ers, Rice stands out from the pack as he is considered by many to be the best player the NFL has ever seen. He also deserves his place as one of the best players in the history of this franchise.
The storied receiver was the first to reach 1,000 lifetime receptions and still leads the circuit, quite comfortably, in receptions (1,549), touchdowns (197) and air yards (22,895).
Rice won three Super Bowl titles with the 49ers, with his best performance coming in 1988, when he was awarded the MVP of the game with 11 catches and 215 yards, both current marks for the event. The receiver was also a tireless player, as in his 20 seasons in the NFL he played 189 consecutive games and only missed 17.
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