5 former 49ers Kyle Shanahan would love to have on 2020 roster
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers Fullback Tom Rathman
When Kyle Shanahan took over the team’s head coaching duties in 2017, he actually could have had former Niners fullback Tom Rathman.
As a running backs coach, though. Not as a player.
Shanahan had to make a tough decision, eventually going with the coach he brought aboard from the Atlanta Falcons, Bobby Turner. And the head coach did this despite his longtime love for San Francisco’s former lead blocker.
Kyle Shanahan told me he had Tom Rathman's cleats in his "high school bedroom". It's important that he keeps him here as a coach. #49ers
— Mindi Bach (@MBachSports) February 9, 2017
Rathman would move on in his coaching duties. But let’s go back to the on-field version.
The 49ers already have the best fullback in football, Kyle Juszczyk. Yet Rathman was Juszczyk before Juszczyk. No better example of this was during the 1989 season when Rathman was regularly opening up holes for running back Roger Craig, then also added 305 rush yards with 616 receiving yards.
Those were indicative of Rathman’s usage over his less-heralded, yet still-stellar career in San Francisco.
Speaking of Craig…