With teams exchanging vicious hits throughout the first half, in the third quarter, Eagles WR Bobby Walston made the mistake of exchanging blows with Charlie Powell, who quickly subdued him. At the same time, two Eagle players took off their helmets and attacked beloved 49er HOF RB Hugh McElhenny.
Enraged 49er fans stormed the field, and what followed was a 15-minute melee that could easily be called a riot. Officials were overwhelmed and unable to stop the brawl until the 49er band played the "National Anthem," and everyone finally stopped swinging and came to attention.
This 49ers squad in 1953 was well known for its tough characters. In addition to Brown, the 49ers featured WWA Wrestling champion Leo "the Lion" Nomellini, a 10-time Pro Bowl participant and rated the top defensive lineman of the century, 6'9" 275lb tackle Bob St. Clair, who was famous for eating raw meat, and Charlie Powell, a fantastic multi-sport athlete who later would knock out Nino Valdes, the No. 2 ranked heavyweight in the world, and fight both Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali. Also on the squad was the legendary Clay Matthews, grandfather of today's star of the same name.
In the early 1950s at San Diego High School, the 6'3" 220 lb. Powell ran 100 yards in 9.6, (just .3 off the world record at the time) threw the shot over 57 feet, and high jumped six feet. He was named the Southern California prep football Player-of-the-Year and was recruited by the Harlem Globetrotters to play basketball. His parents refused to sign their permission. Instead, Powell signed a pro baseball contract with the St. Louis Browns, and after one season, Charlie left baseball, and thanks to Frankie Albert, he signed with the 49ers despite never playing a down of college football. He was only 19 years old when he joined the 49ers. In his first NFL game with the 49ers on the road against HOF QB Bobby Layne and the Detroit Lions, Charlie unofficially registered 10 sacks for minus 62 yards, and Layne didn't complete a pass until the 4th quarter.
Watching the Myles Garrett - Mason Rudolph fiasco last night brought back many memories of that Sunday afternoon at Kezar in 1953 when I, as a 10-year-old original Kezar fan, watched the brawl in living color. My most vivid memory was of the two Eagle players swinging their helmets at McElhenny, who amazingly pulled off his own helmet and returned the favor as fans swarmed the field to protect him. Those were the days, my friends, we thought they would never end, and last night Garrett proved it.
The most humorous part of the evening was watching the disbelieving former players expressing shock that this could happen and saying they had never seen anything like it in their 30 years or so being involved in football at all levels They just weren't around 66 years ago like I was...
Written By:
Native of SF. Attended Washington HIgh (HOF Basketball & Golf), CCSF and SF State University. Investor & Startup Business Consultant, Former Juvenile Detention Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Self-employment Specialist, Real Estate Investor, Genealogist. Senior Pro Golfer.
All articles by Gary Mialocq
Gary Mialocq
Native of SF. Attended Washington HIgh (HOF Basketball & Golf), CCSF and SF State University. Investor & Startup Business Consultant, Former Juvenile Detention Counselor, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Self-employment Specialist, Real Estate Investor, Genealogist. Senior Pro Golfer.
All articles by Gary Mialocq
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
The Most Faithful: How 49ers Fans Dominate Home and Road Games
Having home-field advantage is important in all sports. The Boston Garden, home of the Boston Celtics, was famous for its lack of air conditioning and the team's playoff record. College stadiums have nicknames that proclaim the difficulty of winning there as an opposing team.... -
49ers' John Lynch on Brandon Aiyuk's status: "Nothing to add there"
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Thursday and was asked for an update on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. His response was brief—there is no update. "Nothing to add there," Lynch said. "We've talked about that ad nauseam.... -
New 49ers LB Eric Kendricks unlikely to play vs. Titans after setback
Recently signed San Francisco 49ers linebacker Eric Kendricks is working to get back into football shape, but has experienced a minor setback. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Wednesday that Kendricks is dealing with a tight calf, which kept him off the practice field. "I'd... -
49ers announce new owner partner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Today, the San Francisco 49ers announced a new investment in the team by Bret Taylor, who has acquired a non-controlling, minority interest in the franchise. The deal, which was approved by the NFL at the League meeting on December 10, will propel...