49er dynasty players and coaches who don't get enough credit

Who do you think contributed to the 17 year run of 10 or more wins that doesn't get the credit they deserve? Watching old 49er documentaries and highlights a few big names (to me anyway) rarely get mentioned. The biggest one, o-line coach Bobb McKittrick, Other than Eddie D, he was the only one on staff during that whole 17 year run. I always hear about the great 49er O-lines of the past and no one mentions Bobb.
Another left out to me is Wendell Tyler, he was on the downside of his career when he came to SF, but averaged 5 yards per carry and 1,000 yards a season as a 1-2 punch with Roger Craig for 3 years, including the 1984 season. Bill Ring, Earl Cooper, and Tom Rathman all get way more mention in films than Tyler, doesn't make sense to me.

[ Edited by BobS on Jul 30, 2010 at 21:45:55 ]

Originally posted by BobS:
Who do you think contributed to the 17 year run of 10 or more wins that doesn't get the credit they deserve? Watching old 49er documentaries and highlights a few big names (to me anyway) rarely get mentioned. The biggest one, o-line coach Bobb McKittrick, Other than Eddie D, he was the only one on staff during that whole 17 year run. I always hear about the great 49er O-lines of the past and no one mentions Bobb.
Another left out to me is Wendell Tyler, he was on the downside of his career when he came to SF, but averaged 5 yards per carry and 1,000 yards a season as a 1-2 punch with Roger Craig for 3 years, including the 1984 season. Bill Ring, Earl Cooper, and Tom Rathman all get way more mention in films than Tyler, doesn't make sense to me.

That's a really good point. Prior to Tyler, the Niners under Walsh didn't have much of a running game. That Tyler deal made them multi-dimensional in a way they hadn't been up to that point. I think he gained about 1,300 yards in 84 when they went 15-1 and beat Miami.

Freddie Solomon is another one who gets overlooked. He was a pretty solid deep threat on the first two Super Bowl teams.

The O-line is where it's at for me. They never get enough love yet nothing great has ever happened behind a sh*tty line; I don't understand it. I never got to see the OG's like Cross do their thing but Harris Barton was the anchor when I started watching; he was probably the best lineman we had but for me, Jesse Sopolu was the glue that held it all together; he's my choice for most underrated.

Those guys made it possible for some great talent to become icons. I'm positive guys like Rice and Montana would never have reached the legendary status that they did without the boys up front. We really were spoiled for a long ass time and now we're experiencing first hand just how important these guys are.

That's why I'm thrilled about the changes we made up front along side the new coaches we brought in. We're working hard to get the most important aspect of football back to the level it should be. Now we can go back to not talking about them at all. I think I actually prefer it that way

[ Edited by NatralBrnThrila on Jul 31, 2010 at 07:41:19 ]

Bobb regularly gets mentioned. I think that part of the zone old enough to remember him hold him in the very highest esteem.

The D often seemed to get passed over, as the O was the sexy part of the team. I don't pick out one player in particular for this, but I can't resist naming Jeff Fuller.

And Policy's name is now somewhat smeared, I think. But his contribution is worth remembering.

Good post. I'm 60 and remember watching those great 49er teams.

The guy who I think doesn't get near the credit he deservers is John Ayers, drafted in the 8th round at 6'5" 285 Guard. He dominated the real LT, Lawrence Taylor that helped us beat the Giants in the playoffs. I cut & pasted the bottom segement which I find very good reading. I'm not very computer savy so please bear with me.

"Walsh used Ayers in a variation on the normal actions of a pulling guard. Ayers would make sure that Taylor was coming (and 90% of the time he was) and then move smoothing back and to his left. It used simple geometry to get into Taylor's path and cut him off.

What Taylor hadn't planned for was that Ayers trained in a way that would have endeared him to Peyton Hillis. He would go out into the freshly plowed fields by his home and tie himself to a tractor tire, dragging it along behind him mile after mile until his legs burned, quavered and fell beneath him. Then he'd pause to get his wind , wipe the sweat from his face and do it again. When Ayers planted his feet, he could anchor as well as anyone in the business. When Taylor came around that corner, he hit Ayers and broke like a wave on a rock. Much later, LT would admit candidly, "I couldn't figure out what to do with him."

The game ended 38-24, and some of the Giants' points came in garbage time. The 49ers would go on to win the Super Bowl. The left tackle position would go on to gain an inevitable type of prominence. It was slow, but protecting the investment at quarterback gradually grew to obvious importance."

The last sentence also make the picking of two Oline talent so important.

john taylor, brent jones

keena turner

Bobb McKittrick

Originally posted by Negrodamus:
john taylor, brent jones

I really think Taylor would have had a Hall of Fame career if he didn't have to share the ball with #80.

Originally posted by BobS:

Originally posted by Negrodamus:
john taylor, brent jones

I really think Taylor would have had a Hall of Fame career if he didn't have to share the ball with #80.

ya just like jerry said in that americas game episode about taylor could have gone anywhere else and been a #1, not to mention his punt returning abilities

Originally posted by crabman82:
keena turner

I would add Michael Carter and Eric Wright. Also, Seifert does not get a whole lot recognition as the D coordinator. The Niners had a top 5 defense throughout the 80s.

Originally posted by BHulman:

Originally posted by crabman82:
keena turner

I would add Michael Carter and Eric Wright. Also, Seifert does not get a whole lot recognition as the D coordinator. The Niners had a top 5 defense throughout the 80s.

Eric Wright is in the HOF though. At least he did get credit for his great play.

Walsh single handedly created the 49ers man.

Originally posted by Lott49ersFan:

Originally posted by BHulman:

Originally posted by crabman82:
keena turner

I would add Michael Carter and Eric Wright. Also, Seifert does not get a whole lot recognition as the D coordinator. The Niners had a top 5 defense throughout the 80s.

Eric Wright is in the HOF though. At least he did get credit for his great play.

What??? did i miss something? Eric Wright is not in the HOF!!! I mean, i wish he were but did something happen when i wasn't looking?

Bob McKitrick
Jesse Sapulo
Keena Turner
Eric Wright
Freddie Solomon
Charles Haley
John Taylor
Don Griffin...so many, so many...my apologies to the other guys i missed!!!