Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Ranking top 10 running backs in franchise history

By Nick Di Marco

Running back Roger Craig #33 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Running back Roger Craig #33 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 11
Next
Ken Willard #40 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Ken Willard #40 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

No. 8: Ken Willard (1965-1973)

Ken Willard spent nine seasons with the 49ers, where he accrued 5,930 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns in his 125 career games with the organization, placing him at No. 4 on both the team’s all-time rushing yards and touchdown list.

Willard was a four-time Pro  Bowler and received much praise for his bruising and fearless style of play. He is also widely known as the player who was drafted second overall in the 1965 NFL Draft, ahead of two future Hall of Famers: Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus.

Nonetheless, Willard was still good enough to be considered as one of the greatest 49ers rushers of all time.

Willard retired following his 10th NFL season due to injuries, where he finished (then) eighth all time in NFL rushing yards and was a part of the teams that won three NFC West titles (1971, 1971, 1972).

He was not considered as a fast or elusive runner, but he will go down in history as one of the meanest runners of his era.