49ers Historical Highlights

1960 - Howard W. (Red) 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. Hickey's shotgun amazed the football world, especially 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 "T" formation and had the finest season in 49er QB Annuls. Indicating the evenness of NFL competition, the 49ers were playing for a second-place 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 "it's easier to win at home than on the road," 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 the ultimate world champion Chicago, the only league defeat suffered by the Bears all season.

1964 - Club chief executive Victor P. Marabito 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 E Dave Parks, QB George Mira, and LB Dave Wilcox also took some of the sting from the 4-10 record.

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, E 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, making the most points scored by the 49ers in NFL play.

1966 - After a somewhat slow start, the 49ers got into 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. G John Thomas and E Dave Parks were all-pro, and they joined G Howard Mudd, C Bruce Bosley, FB Ken Willard and LB Dave Wilcox in the Pro Bowl.

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. G 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, 27-20. Brilliant performances by QB John Brodie, WR Clifton McNeil and RB Ken Willard led to a prolific offense, while DT Charlie Krueger, LB Dave Wilcox and DB Kermit Alexander, sparked a revitalized defense. McNeil and G 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 beaten the Colts in 13 previous games. The 49ers finished 4-8-2 and five players - HB Jimmy Johnson, LB Dave Wilcox, G Elmer Collett, RB Ken Willard and rookie WR Gene Washington - were selected for the Pro Bowl. Johnson was also all-pro and winner of the Len Eshmont Award.