HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS 1949 1957 1964 December 10, the NFL and AAFC announced that the two leagues will merge. The NFL agrees to adopt Baltimore, Cleveland and San Francisco as new franchises. This undoubtedly was one of the most emotional and dramatic seasons in 49ers history. Every game was a cliffhanger and the Alley Oop pass from QB Y.A. Tittle to rookie HB R.C. Owens became a household byword. Emotions reached a peak when the beloved Tony Morabito collapsed and died of a heart attack at the Chicago Bears game on Oct. 27. Trailing 177, the 49ers fought back for a great victory, 21-17. The magnificent Billy Wilson caught a pass from Tittle for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. Tied with Detroit at 8-4 when the season ended, the 49ers lost the playoff game, 31-27, after holding a 27-7 lead in the third quarter. Club Chief Executive Victor P. Morabito died of a heart attack in May. Injuries to key personnel prevented the 49ers from gaining enough offensive momentum to forge a winning season despite having one of the toughest defensive units in the league. Outstanding rookie performances by Dave Parks, QB George Mira and LB Dave Wilcox also took some of the sting from the 4-10 record. 1950 The 49ers struggled in their NFL debut, winning only three games. A rival coach described them as big enough or tough 1951 In an amazing reversal of form sparked by a great rookie group, the 49ers were in the race until the final day and finished only a half game off the top. Led by LB Hardy Brown and his famed shoulder tackle, the club had one of the toughest defensive units in the League. QB Y.A. Tittle and Billy Wilson began their great 49er careers. 1952 After a blazing start, the 49ers slumped in mid-season. HB Hugh McElhenny came off the University of Washington campus to become the NFL PLAYER OF THE YEAR and the most feared runner in football. 1953 The 49ers had their best NFL showing posting a 9-3 record, normally good enough for a championship. Detroit, however, was 10-2. Two of San losses came with QB Y.A. Tittle sidelined because of a severe facial injury. The three defeats were by a total of nine points. FB Joe Perry became one of the few players in pro history to gain more than 1,000 yards in a single season. Gordy Soltau was the top scorer for the second straight year. 1954 The 49ers jumped out to a blazing start, posting a 4-0-1 record through the first five games. However the early momentum was slowed by injuries to three key members of the legendary Dollar QB Y.A. Tittle, HB Hugh McElhenny and FB Joe Perry all missed action with different injuries, but Perry returned to become the first player to record 1,000 yards rushing in consecutive seasons. 1955 With HB Hugh McElhenny hobbled by a foot injury, the 49ers had their second-worst season in history under Norman P. Strader, who succeeded Buck Shaw as head coach. 1956 In head coach Frankie first year at the helm, the 49ers were in last place at mid-season with a 1-6 record. They went 4-0-1 in their last five games for a brilliant stretch drive. 49ERS.COM 1958 An up-and-down season finished on a high note with victories over Green Bay and Baltimore. The 6-6 record, however, was blackened by the 33-3 and 56-7 lacings at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. Head coach Frankie Albert resigned at the end of the year. 1965 Outstanding offensive performances enabled the 49ers to jump from the bottom to fourth place in the Western Division as the team led the NFL in both scoring and total offense. QB John Brodie was the most productive passer in the NFL, Dave Parks led the league in receiving and rookie FB Ken Willard and veteran HB John David Crow, acquired in an offseason trade, led a strong ground game. The 7-6-1 record included a season-opening 52-24 victory over the Chicago Bears, marking the most points scored by the 49ers in NFL play. 1959 1966 With Howard W. Hickey in charge, the 49ers were in contention all the way and QB John Brodie came into his own at quarterback when he led the team to a 21-20 upset of Cleveland. HB J.D. Smith, a converted defensive back, became the second 49er to accumulate more than 1,000 yards rushing. After a somewhat slow start, the 49ers got in gear just before the midway point and became one of only two teams to beat the eventual world champion Green Bay Packers. After that, they finished with a respectable 6-6-2 record and were in the battle for second place in the Western Division until the final league game. John Thomas and Dave Parks were All-Pro, and they joined Howard Mudd, Bruce Bosley, FB Ken Willard and LB Dave Wilcox in the Pro Bowl. 1960 Howard W. Hickey saved a seemingly hopeless season when he installed his shotgun attack and the club captured four of its last five games, including a 30-22 upset of Baltimore. 1961 The success of Howard W. shotgun amazed the football world, especially in a 49-0 victory over Detroit. QB Billy Kilmer, a passing-running rookie from UCLA, was made to order for the new offense. When the shotgun stopped, QB John Brodie took over again in the formation and had the finest season in 49ers QB annals. Indicating the evenness of NFL competition, the 49ers were playing for a secondplace tie, plus a trip to the Runner-up Bowl at Miami, or a fifth-place position on the last day of the season. The Colts again won by three points, but 1961 will remain as one of the most exciting and interesting years in 49ers history. 1962 For the first time since 1956, the 49ers finished a frustrating season with more defeats than victories. In so doing, the honored adage of easier to win at home than on the proved false?the 49ers won only one of seven at Kezar Stadium, but captured five of seven road contests. 1963 A multitude of injuries to key personnel started the 49ers off to a disappointing 2-12 season. One of the victories, however, was a 20-14 upset of ultimate world champion Chicago, the only league defeat suffered by the Bears all season. 1967 An auspicious start (5-1) disintegrated into disappointment for the 49ers as injuries took a heavy toll and a six-game losing streak took them out of the running. QB George Mira came off the bench to lead the squad to two season-ending victories and salvage a 7-7 record. There were bright spots, however, as QB John Brodie and the 49ers were the only team to beat the power-laden Rams in a league game. Bruce Bosley played in the Pro Bowl for the second straight season. 1968 Under new coach Dick Nolan, the 49ers posted a 7-6-1 record. The season turned on key wins over the New York Giants, 26-10, and Green Bay, 2720. Brilliant performances by QB John Brodie, WR Clifton McNeil and RB Ken Willard led a prolific offense, while DT Charlie Krueger, LB Dave Wilcox and DB Kermit Alexander sparked a revitalized defense. McNeil and Howard Mudd were chosen All-NFL and were joined by Wilcox, Willard and Alexander in the Pro Bowl. 1969 Beset by injuries that nearly decimated the defensive unit, the 49ers struggled through the early part of the season. They went winless in their first five games before beating Baltimore, the first time they had 2010 MEDIA GUIDE