Former 49ers QB and Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle passes away at age 90
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Y.A. Tittle, passed away on Sunday night. He was born in Marshall, Texas, played college football at LSU, and had been living in Atherton, California since retiring from the NFL. Tittle was
suffering from severe dementia.
Tittle, who was just two weeks away from his 91st birthday, spent 10 seasons with the 49ers from 1951 through 1960. Prior to his time in San Francisco, Tittle spent three years with the Baltimore Colts and then four seasons with the New York Giants following his time with the 49ers.
Tittle joined the 49ers in 1951 following the end of the Baltimore franchise the season before. The quarterback, along with all of his former teammates, became eligible for the 1951 NFL Draft and the 49ers selected him with the third overall pick. He shared playing time during his first two seasons with quarterback Franke Albert and became the 49ers' starter in 1953, which ended up being a Pro Bowl season for Tittle.
Tittle was part of the famous "Million Dollar Backfield," which consisted of himself, fullback Joe Perry, and halfbacks Hugh McElhenny and John Henry Johnson.
"It made quarterbacking so easy because I just get in the huddle and call anything and you have three Hall of Fame running backs ready to carry the ball," said Tittle in 2006.
"The San Francisco 49ers organization and our Faithful fans have lost a dear member of our family," said 49ers CEO Jed York via a statement issued by the team. "Y.A. Tittle will forever hold a special place in not only 49ers history but that of the National Football League. His individual accomplishments speak for themselves, but as a member of the 'Million Dollar Backfield' he was part of one of the most storied offensive attacks the game of football has ever seen. During his 15 years as a player and a coach, Y.A. made many significant contributions to this organization and the Bay Area. Our best wishes are with his family and the many friends and fans he leaves behind."
Over his pro career, Tittle was selected to seven Pro Bowls (1953, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961-1963) and was a four-time First-team All-Pro (1957, 1961-1963). He led the league in passing touchdowns three times (1955, 1962, 1963). Tittle has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame, and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Over his career, Tittle passed for 28,339 yards with 212 touchdowns and 221 interceptions. Statistically, his best seasons came in 1962 and 1963 with the New York Giants when Tittle threw for over 3,000 yards and 30-or-more touchdowns in each of the two seasons. He was one of two players in NFL history to throw for 500 yards and seven touchdowns in a game (Drew Brees, 2015).
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Former NFL WR: Brandon Aiyuk told me he doesn't want to leave 49ers
Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh claims to have recently spoken to Brandon Aiyuk, stating that the star player has no desire to leave the San Francisco 49ers.
Aiyuk and the 49ers are currently negotiating a contract extension, aiming to finalize a new deal. Of course, that hasn't prevented significant media speculation surrounding Aiyuk's future, with many wondering if the delay might hint at a potential trade.
Well-informed 49ers fans know that the team typically finalizes its significant contract extensions closer to training camp, as seen with George Kittle in 2020, Fred Warner in 2021, and Deebo Samuel in 2022. Last year, negotiations with Nick Bosa concluded just days before Week
Former NFL exec on 49ers' Brock Purdy: "I think he needs to find more fire"
Brock Purdy isn't one to seek the spotlight. He exudes politeness, respect, and an even-keeled demeanor when speaking to reporters during interviews. Nothing we've seen from the San Francisco 49ers quarterback's time off the field would indicate that it's a facade.
However, on the field, Purdy can show some fire, particularly after a big play or in an effort to ensure his teammates are on the same page as him. While praising the third-year quarterback, one unnamed former NFL executive expressed a desire to see more of that fire from Purdy in the future, believing it is crucial to his development.
"Brock Purdy is one of the most talented arms that I've seen," the former executive recently
Breaking down the 49ers drafts under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
