Niner Noise
FanSided

The 5 Biggest 49ers Hall of Fame Snubs in the Modern Era

By JD Leidy

Aug 6, 2016; Canton, OH, USA; Former San Fransisco players (L to R) Charley Haley and Steve Young and Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice and Joe Montana pose with former owner Edward De Bartolo Jr. (third from R) during the 2016 NFL Hall of Fame enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 6, 2016; Canton, OH, USA; Former San Fransisco players (L to R) Charley Haley and Steve Young and Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice and Joe Montana pose with former owner Edward De Bartolo Jr. (third from R) during the 2016 NFL Hall of Fame enshrinement at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next

No. 4: Bryant Young (97)

Another 49ers great who is seemingly flying just under the NFL Hall of Fame’s radar is defensive tackle Bryant Young.

Like Jones, Young, or simply “B.Y.” as he’s known to the Faithful, was a stalwart on the mid-’90s 49ers, a group that perennially competed for the league title.

Also like Jones, Young has career numbers that seem to be right on the cusp of HoF consideration:

Bryant Young
Bryant Young /

Beyond the sheer numbers, Young was a suffocating presence in the interior of one of the best defenses of his era. Alongside fellow standout Dana Stubblefield, Young terrorized passers and runners alike, with his best statistical year coming in 1996 when he recorded 84 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two safeties.

B.Y. was also leading the league with 9.5 sacks heading into Week 13 of the 1998 season, when he suffered a spiral “tib-fib” fracture that required the insertion of a metal rod into the larger of the two bones.

Down, but far from out, Young returned in 1999, recording 11 sacks, 36 tackles and a safety. He was named the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Young’s 89.5 career sacks is an undeniable accomplishment, placing him No. 4 on the all-time sack leaders list at his position. Two of the three players ahead of him on that list, Warren Sapp (96.5 sacks) and John Randle (137 sacks), already have gold jackets hanging in their closets.

Perhaps most unfortunate for Young is that he joined the 49ers at the very end of their prolific title run. In turn, B.Y. only has one championship to his name, spending the bulk of his career anchoring the defense of a 49ers franchise in perennial “rebuild mode.”

Young, however, never complained. Instead, he became a shining presence for the organization, winning the 49ers most prestigious team honor, the Len Eshmont Award, a franchise record eight times.

Young’s career, both on and off the field, is the embodiment of greatness. The fact that he has yet to be enshrined among the game’s best makes him No. 4 on the 49ers Hall of Fame snub list.