San Francisco 49ers: Ranking top 10 offensive lineman in franchise history
By Peter Panacy
No. 9: Center/Guard Jesse Sapolu
49ers Tenure: 1983-1997
Pro Bowl Selections: 2
How can one make a 49ers all-time offensive line list without including one of the longest-tenured Niners in franchise history?
And one with four Super Bowl rings to his credit, too.
The versatile and illustrious Jesse Sapolu has to be considered one of the most beloved Niners of all time. After finding his way to San Francisco in 1983 in Round 11, Sapolu in 1987 after some brief stints on the team’s active roster.
Sapolu never looked back and managed to record two Pro Bowl nominations during his stellar 13-year career.
What makes the Samoa native’s story even more special was he played his entire career with a dangerous heart condition that could have ended his career, and life, at any moment.