With the San Francisco 49ers bringing in a new general manager and head coach, who have embraced the organization’s historic past, it reminds us of some of the great players that have donned the red and gold over the years. Niner Noise ranks the top five running backs in franchise history.
As the San Francisco 49ers begin the painstaking process of rebuilding this once-proud franchise, new head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have done something the last few regimes seemed unwilling to do: embrace the past.
Seeing the faces of past 49er greats like Jerry Rice, Steve Young, and Mike Shanahan (to name a few) walk through the facilities recently has brought a bit of nostalgia along with it.
With so many great players in it’s rich history, there were some tough choices. Narrowing it down to five made it more of a challenge and definitely more debatable.
Using a guideline of overall stats, impact on the team/league, and historical significance, here are the five greatest running backs in 49ers history.
No. 5: Garrison Hearst
Some 49ers fans may not know or remember Garrison Hearst in a Niners uniform, but he had some terrific seasons with the team. In his five seasons with San Francisco, Hearse amassed 5,535 rushing yards and 1,604 receiving yards to go along with 33 touchdowns and six playoff appearances.
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In his best season with San Francisco, he rushed for 1,570 yards (second only to Frank Gore’s 1,695) and seven touchdowns while adding two touchdowns receiving to go along with 535 yards through the air.
And while only playing five years for San Francisco, he is the fifth all-time leading rusher in 49er history.
There were times during his tenure with the team Hearst carried the load, offensively, especially after Steve Young was forced to leave football due to concussions. Along with quarterback Jeff Garcia, Hearst helped the 49ers maintain some level of success while transitioning from Young to Garcia.
But what he may be best known for was his 96-yard run in overtime against the New York Jets in the 1998 season opener.
In his 10-year career in the NFL, his five seasons with the 49ers were arguably some of his best. It was a case of right place at the right time with the right team that allowed Hearst to shine.
No. 4: Hugh McElhenny
Many of you may be saying, “Who?”
Known as “The King,” Hugh McElhenny played for San Francisco from 1952 through 1960, displaying a host of electrifying moves as well as excelling in the return game, McElhenny posted 6,954 yards from scrimmage to go along with 50 touchdowns.
A member of the famed “Million Dollar Backfield” that included fellow running backs John Henry Johnson and Joe Perry — to go along with quarterback Y.A. Tittle — McElhenny was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970.
During his time with San Francisco, he also became a receiving threat as a target for Tittle, becoming a Pro Bowler after the 1952 and 1953 seasons as well as from 1956 through 1958.
McElhenny played an integral part in the 49ers finishing in a tie for the Western Conference title in 1957, although they lost to Detroit in the tie-breaker game.
His nickname came while with the 49ers because he was the most feared running back in the NFL. Along with his prowess as a runner and receiver, McElhenny also excelled returning punts and kickoffs, leading him to 11,375 all-purpose yards during his entire thirteen-years in the NFL.
McElhenny later had his jersey retired by the 49ers.
No. 3: Joe Perry
Fletcher Joseph Perry, better known as Joe “The Jet,” was a San Francisco 49er from 1948 through 1960, amassing 10,194 total yards, 8,689 of that rushing the ball and 79 touchdowns with the team.
Perry was also a part of the infamous “Million Dollar Backfield,” becoming one of football’s first African American bona fide stars. He also made history by becoming the NFL’s first African American to be named MVP in 1954.
San Francisco 49ers
“The Jet” also made three straight Pro Bowl appearances and was a three-time All-Pro for the 49ers.
In his first two seasons with the 49ers (who were a part of the AAFC) Perry lead the league in rushing touchdowns and also finished first in rushing in 1949.
Once the AAFC was absorbed by the NFL before the 1950 season, Perry continued performing well, finishing as the fifth leading rusher in 1950 and 1951.
With McElhenny coming to the team via the 1952 Draft, the “Million Dollar Backfield” earned their nickname by finishing third and fourth in the league in rushing.
Perry went on to become the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, and even with sharing carries out of the backfield with Hugh McElhenny and John Henry Johnson, Perry led the league in rushing once again in 1954.
The added significance of breaking through racial barriers at a time when African American players were seen as more of a novelty rather than impact players can not be overstated.
And while the team never won a championship, Perry’s legacy not only with the 49ers, but with the history of the NFL as well, puts him third on our list.
No. 2: Roger Craig
Taken with the 49th pick in the 1983 NFL Draft by San Francisco, Roger Craig had an immediate impact for the team.
Totaling 12 total touchdowns rushing and receiving in his rookie season, Craig and the Niners made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before losing a classic to the Washington Redskins 24-21.
And while that wasn’t the outcome the 49ers wanted, the next seven years saw the team win three Lombardi trophies while the high-stepping Craig accumulated 11,506 yards from scrimmage.
In 1985, he also became the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards and gain 1,000 yards receiving in the same season.
All total, he racked up 66 touchdowns during his eight years with the 49ers to go along with those three Super Bowl victories.
In 1988, he also was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year, en route to 1,502 yards rushing, over 2,000 total yards and, most importantly, a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Craig’s versatility to be a runner and receiver helped Bill Walsh realize perfecting the West Coast offense and set the course for how teams use the passing game to set up their run game.
It was a monumental shift from offense that focused on power running attacks to set up play-action. Many of the concepts of the West Coast offense are still seen in today’s high-powered passing attacks.
As far as impact on the league, team success, and overall numbers, an argument could be made that Craig could be interchanged with the No. 1 running back on this list.
No. 1: Frank Gore
Frank The Tank.
He was the bell cow for the 49ers offense for the vast majority of the 10 years he played for the team (2005-2014).
Few thought Gore could have such sustained success, especially after suffering an ACL tear in 2002 during spring practice at the University of Miami. He spent the next season rehabbing, and returned the following year and had 100 yards rushing in each of the first five games.
After posting 1,975 yards with a 5.7 yards-per-carry average at the U, the 49ers made him a third-round selection in the 2005 NFL Draft.
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Gore proceeded to rush for 1,000-plus yards in nine consecutive seasons and earn five Pro Bowl honors. Along with Jim Brown and Barry Sanders, Gore carried the ball 200 or more times in nine straight seasons. They are the only three ever to accomplish that feat, and it beckons to Gore’s durability and skill set.
While he achieved incredible personal success, the team struggled to a 37-59 record until the arrival of Jim Harbaugh as head coach in 2011.
With Harbaugh as coach, the Niners went from 6-10 in 2010, to 13-3 in 2011 and an NFC Championship Game appearance against the New York Giants. Had it not been for a Kyle Williams’ fumble in overtime, the 49ers would have played the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
2012 saw the team go 11-4-1, with Gore rushing for 1,214 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the way.
This time, the team advanced to the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens. Gore once showed up big, rushing 19 times for 119 yards and a score. Unfortunately, the 49ers fell to the Ravens in one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played.
After another playoff run in 2013, the 49ers lost to the eventual champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game, the last playoff appearance for Gore in a Niner uniform. In 2014, Gore became the 20th player in NFL history to amass 11,000 yards rushing.
Currently, Gore sits eighth in the NFL in all-time rushing yards with 13,065 to go along with 90 total touchdowns.
For the 49ers, Gore sits atop their list as the leading rusher in team history, and also holds the team record for total yards with 13,956 yards and 75 touchdowns.
Next: 10 Best Rookie seasons in franchise history
Not bad for a guy most said could not stay healthy.
For 49er fans, Gore most assuredly will hold a place in their hearts as a an all-time great back, a great teammate, and a true professional.