San Francisco 49ers: 10 best defensive linemen in franchise history

No. 7: Charlie Krueger

49ers Tenure: 1959 – 1973

Pro Bowl Selections: 2

Also drafted in the top 10, defensive end Charlie Krueger was selected No. 9 overall in 1958 and ended up playing his entire 15-year career with San Francisco. Known for his tenacity and ruthlessness, he was a respected player by teammates. This, via John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald:

"He would knock your brains out, said former Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winner John David Crow, who also played with Krueger in San Francisco. He was a very, very tough football player. He wasn’t as big when he was playing in college as he was with the 49ers. He was a good teammate, a good guy and one of the reasons we had a good football team."

Krueger was selected to the Pro Bowl twice, in 1960 and 1964, and named to three All-Pro teams, second-team in 1960, 1965 and 1970. The 49ers also won three consecutive NFC West division titles during Krueger’s time with the team, from 1970 to 1972.

Sadly, the relationship between the team and himself became strained as the 49ers were found guilty of fraud against Krueger in 1987.

According to the report in the Los Angeles Times from February 22, 1987, the “team never told Krueger of the risk he was running when he played in severe pain for the last 10 years of his career, from 1964 to 1973, despite regular pain-killing drug injections by team doctors.”