San Francisco 49ers fans have been treated to some incredible performances by Niners players and opponents’ players as well. Niner Noise looks at five rival players 49er fans love to hate.
Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott, Dwight Clark.
Those are just a few of the iconic players that have donned the San Francisco 49ers’ scarlet and gold over the years.
And while we remember the terrific moments, plays and games they were in, there were also plenty of times we witnessed rival teams and players excel against the Niners.
We learned to hate some of those players over time, whether for their on-field exploits, their off-field exploits or a combination of the two.
Perhaps they had terrific stats or compiled wins when opposing our team. But whatever the reason, we grew to hate them and their team.
So without further adieu, I’ve narrowed the list to five rival players 49ers fans love to hate.
No. 5: Roger Staubach
Perhaps this goes back further than some of you can remember. Or, as in my case, predates your birth. But Staubach was Brett Favre before Brett Favre. But I’ll get into that later.
Roger Staubach quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys through the 1970s, defeating our beloved 49ers, the NFC West Division champs, in the playoffs in 1970 , 1971 and 1972. It also was a precursor to a rivalry that re-ignited when a certain QB from Notre Dame threw an impossible last-minute touchdown in the back of the end zone in the 1981 NFC Championship against these same Cowboys.
More from SF 49ers All-Time Lists
- Building the greatest 49ers all-time offense in franchise history
- 49ers all-time best NFL Draft picks by each round
- Famous 49ers players who jumped ship and joined Raiders
- 10 tailgate foods (and recipes) 49ers fans should try and will love
- The 10 worst tailgate foods 49ers fans should hate (but don’t)
They battled in the playoffs throughout the 80s and 90s, creating one of the great rivalries in NFL history.
But before that, Staubach always seemed to beat the Niners.
They faced the Staubach-led Cowboys in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games, losing 17-10 and 14-3, respectively. But it was in the 1972 NFC Divisional Playoff game that introduced the 49ers and the NFL to “Captain Comeback.”
Staubach had not played since an injury in Week 5 and watched backup quarterback Craig Morton struggle to move the team for the first three quarters at Candlestick Park.
Trailing 28-13 in the fourth quarter, Cowboys coach Tom Landry inserted Staubach into the game. After cutting the deficit to 28-23 with just over a minute to play, the Cowboys recovered an onside kick.
A touchdown pass to Ron Sellers with 52 seconds left capped a 15-point comeback that devastated the 49ers and the Candlestick crowd.
It would be 10 years until the 49ers and their fans would wipe that bad taste out of their mouth when Montana completed “The Catch” to Dwight Clark.
No. 4: Lawrence Taylor
The rivalry between the New York Giants and 49ers stretches to an interdivisional one that has seen 39 regular season showdowns, with the Giants having won 20.
However, it is the playoff games between the two that have made it one of the most bitter rivalries in NFL history. In fact, they have split eight postseason games since 1982, which is the most that two teams have met in the playoffs during that time frame.
Their history goes back to the 1981 playoffs, when Bill Walsh and Joe Montana were in the midst of creating one of the greatest dynasties in professional sports history.
Their playoff run-ins have spanned 30 years, the last being the 2011 NFC Championship game. For linebacker Lawrence Taylor, his sack totals in six games versus the Niners was 4.5. But the constant pressure he put on the quarterback on seemingly every down evokes respect but distain from Niners fans.
Taylor not only was hated for his exploits on the field, but for the ones off the field as well. He had a lengthy arrest record that included drug charges and sexual misconduct involving a 16-year-old girl.
The arrogance and reckless abandon he played with on the field often times followed him off the field as well.
But his play on the field changed how teams would scheme their offenses and his technique for chopping down on the quarterback’s hands to create a fumble rather than tackle him was copied throughout the league.
Perhaps the play that will haunt 49ers fans the most was during the 1990 NFC Championship game with the 49ers driving the ball for a potential game-winning field goal in an effort to try to three-peat, Taylor recovered running back Roger Craig’s fumble to secure a 13-12 Giants victory.
If you grew up in that era of pro football, Taylor was the single most dominate defensive player to take the field in the 1980s and 1990s.
No. 3: Michael Irvin
When you have such a rivalry as the Niners and Cowboys have had over the years, it is no surprise to see two Dallas players on the list.
Wide receiver Michael Irvin, much the same as Lawrence Taylor, has had numerous questionable incidents off the field. And while his personal life may be questionable, his on-field production and team success is undeniable.
After being drafted by the Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in the 1988 NFL Draft, “The Playmaker” joined Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith to form “The Triplets.”
By the end of the 1992 season, they were playing in and winning the Super Bowl, the first of three during the 1990s. En route to those three titles, the Cowboys played the 49ers three times in the NFC Championship game, winning two of those contests.
Irvin compiled 20 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns to go along with his signature “first down” signal that surely irritated all fans not wearing Cowboy colors.
Much as some times had disdain for the 49ers for their “arrogance” or confidence, the same could be said for the ’90s Cowboys, and in particular, Irvin.
If you are/were a true 49er fan, Irvin definitely got under your skin.
No. 2: Richard Sherman
Surprise! Surprise!
OK, not really. But given the relatively short rivalry of the Jim Harbaugh-led 49ers and the Pete Carroll-led Seahawks, cornerback Richard Sherman has overachieved in creating utter disdain and hatred from all 49er fans.
San Francisco 49ers
And it’s not all about Sherman’s productivity against the team, although his tipped-ball defense against former 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the 2014 NFC Championship game and his interceptions against Colin Kaepernick in 2014 have driven a stake into the hearts of 49er fans on too many occasions.
Sports fans in general took to social media to bash Sherman for his lack of sportsmanship following that game-saving tip of Kaepernick’s pass, and with his seeming inability to let go of the Super Bowl interception QB Russell Wilson threw on Seattle’s last play against the New England Patriots and Sherman’s image can’t be much worse.
Sherman and the Seahawks held a bitter rivalry with the 49ers and former head coach Jim Harbaugh that reached it’s apex during the four years Harbaugh coached San Francisco.
Harbaugh coached Sherman at Stanford and did not draft Sherman during the 2011 NFL Draft — a perceived point of contention for Sherman.
Add to that fact Carroll and Harbaugh had a rivalry going back to their Pac-10 days, and the loathing is real.
With the 49ers currently rebuilding following Harbaugh’s departure, the rivalry has taken a bit of a hit. But with the fact that they are a division rival, and Sherman and the Seahawks still carrying an arrogance that permeates throughout the organization, the hatred for Sherman and the Seahawks should continue on for the foreseeable future.
No. 1: Brett Favre
Perhaps no opposing player has frustrated Niner fans more than quarterback Brett Favre.
Maybe it’s the fact the 49ers and Packers have squared off five times in the playoffs since 1995. Or that Favre’s record against the team is 12-2, with four of those wins coming in the playoffs.
Favre has had fairly pedestrian numbers in the regular season, with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but the playoffs have been a different story.
More from Niner Noise
- 49ers 2023 NFL Draft tracker: Pick-by-pick news and analysis
- Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
- DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet
- 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
- 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar
He has won four of five games and posted eight touchdowns to three interceptions with a 104 passer rating.
And while you can admire the iron man-like 297 straight starts over 19 years, the success he has had against the 49ers is enough to make you cringe.
But perhaps above all that is the fact that Favre told the Packers to move on without him, and so they did.
But then he decided to come back, and expected the Packers to either bump Aaron Rodgers or release him so he could sign with division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings.
It was almost as if Favre reveled in all the media attention, and the constant daily hoopla that followed only made sports fans more annoyed.
Next: 49ers: Why Lorenzo Jerome make the 53-man roster
For all of his exploits on the field against the Niners, and all the off the field shenanigans, Favre tops my list as the most hated Niner rival player.