San Francisco 49ers

 

The San Francisco 49ers was first established in 1946, and was actually part of the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) when they started. They went on to join the NFL in 1950 when these two leagues merged that year. Currently, the 49ers are playing in the NFC West, along with longtime rivals, the St. Louis Rams. For those fans wondering what the “49ers” means, it was the name that was given to the gold prospectors during the California gold rush in 1849. This is why the team colors are Red and Metallic Gold, going along with the same idea of the gold rush. The 49ers are headquartered in the Marie P. DeBartolo Sports Center located in Santa Clara, California. They play their home games in Candlestick Park, in San Francisco, where a little over sixty-nine thousand fans can enjoy watching the 49ers play. The team is one of the oldest professional sports team that was established and has remained in California.

 

49ers Brief Team History

The San Francisco 49ers became a professional football franchise in 1946, where they would join the AAFC for only four years. By 1950, the AAFC merged with the NFL, bringing the 49ers over into the NFL. They had several successful years in the NFL after they finally jump started in 1957, along with a team that became famous, the “Million Dollar Backfield”. From the 1957 until 1970, the team simply drifted around the .500 mark; except for 1963 and 1964 when they had poor season records. The franchise really took off in 1979 and 1980 when the 49ers hired Bill Walsh as head coach and acquired quarterback Joe Montana. It was thanks to them, and several other excellent teammates that the 49ers went to their first two Super Bowls in 1981 and 1984.

Walsh would soon retire from coaching after the third Super Bowl championship victory in 1988. After which, Montana, and newly acquired running back Jerry Rice, would lead the team to their fourth Super Bowl in 1989; marking the fact that the 49ers had won two Super Bowl back-to-back. By 1993 Joe Montana decided it would be good for a change and was traded to the Redskins. Once he left, the 49ers invested a lot of money in acquiring new talent, and thanks to that they won their fifth Super Bowl in 1994. Since then the 49ers have appeared in seven more playoffs, but have been unable to make it to the Super Bowl; their last playoff appearance being in 2011.

 

Notable 49ers Figures

With so much history and success, the 49ers are team that has had and still has a lot of talent on its team.

 

Past 49ers Figures

 

“Million Dollar Backfield” was the nickname being given to one of the best offenses in the 1950’s. It was headed up by quarterback Y. A. Tittle and running backs John Henry Johnson, Hugh McElhenny, and Joe Perry. They have been the only full-house backfield that has been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

 

The 1980 through 1994 San Francisco 49ers were a spectacular team, playing exceedingly well together. The main people that caused such immense success were Bill Walsh, who was the head coach that led the team to three Super Bowls from 1979 until he retired in 1988. Joe Montana was the starting quarterback for the 49ers from 1979 until 1992, and was responsible for getting the team to four Super Bowls. Finally is Jerry Rice, an amazing wide receiver that helped the team as they won three Super Bowls, including their most recent one in 1994.

 

Each one of these players or coaches gave the 49ers years of success with which fans have enjoyed for decades.

 

Present 49ers Figures

 

The Offense: the 49ers currently have an amazing offensive line headed up by quarterback Alex Smith, whom has been playing with the Niners since 2005. There is also running back Frank Gore who has rushed over 1,000 yards most of his career, and during the 2012 season it looks like he will beat that record again. They also have wide receiver Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis. Both of these players have been crucial for the passing game of the 49ers, getting both great yardage and a good amount of touchdowns.

 

The Defense: the 49ers current defense is amazing, being able to keep their opponents to low scores. The defensive line is led by inside linebacker Patrick Willis who has been tackling anyone that is on the front line. They also have NaVorro Bowman, another inside linebacker that has both agility and strength, as he is able to stop the players at the front line as well as put pressure on the quarterback. Finally we have Aldon Smith, an outside linebacker that does a great job of applying the pressure and rushing the quarterback. Not only these three, but the other players on the defensive line are doing an incredible job this 2012 season.

 

Present Team Personnel

The current owner and CEO of the San Francisco 49ers is Jed York. York’s parents were the previous owners of the 49ers, but decided to start handing over more responsibility to Jed as time progressed. He has used the experience he gained when he worked for the Guggenheim Partners as a financial analyst. His skill with numbers has made him a great owner. The current head coach for the 49ers is Jim Harbaugh, who started with the team in 2011; that same year he led them to their first playoff appearance in 8 years. It is looking up for the 49ers and their incredible team and personnel during this 2012 season.