San Francisco 49ers: All-Time Top Players for Each Uniform Number, 51-75 (2024)

This is the third part of a series covering the top San Francisco 49ers player for every roster slot. We've covered numbers 1-25 and 26-50 already, and now we move forward to the next set of numbers.

Today's list celebrates the big men who do the nasty work in the trenches. The 60s and 70s numbers are reserved for offensive and defensive linemen, so this list has tackles, guards and ends galore after a batch of great linebackers.

It can be difficult comparing great offensive linemen from different decades. Other than Pro Bowls and games played, there are very few metrics out there for comparing. You have to go back and see what contemporaries said about them at the time, see how successful the team was at running and pass blocking and just assume that if a player stayed in the lineup for an extended period of time that he was really good—otherwise, he would have been replaced.

The franchise itself hasn't been particularly helpful identifying players at these numbers, either. Only two numbers in this range have been retired—the least of any segment. That doesn't make this the weakest set of numbers, however—there are plenty of solid linemen who've fallen just short of a point where they would get their number retired—and few almost near-blanks like there are in the quarterback and kicker uniform numbers.

Without futher ado, bring on the linemen!

51: Randy Cross (1977-1988)
In Cross’ career as an interior lineman, he could have started 192 games. He started 180 of them, which is amazing longevity for an offensive lineman. He wasn’t just a fixture in the lineup, he was a darn good one, being named to the Pro Bowl three times and getting some All-Pro nods, albeit not from the AP. Honorable mention goes to Ken Norton, a ferocious hitter who jumped to the 49ers in time for Super Bowl XXIX and remained there until 2000.

52: Patrick Willis (2007-2014)
I miss him already. The seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro should be an interesting Hall of Fame candidate. Is seven-and-a-half years of being one of and usually the best inside linebacker in football enough, or was his career too short? I’m on the side of yes, but it’s not a slam dunk either way. Skip Vanderbrundt, a fine outside linebacker from the 1970s, is certainly worth acknowledging as well, but there’s just one Willis.

53: Tommy Hart (1968-1977)
I wrote and crossed off NaVorro Bowman’s name from this spot four or five times—I think I mostly want to make sure his knee is healthy and he’s able to play at something approaching his old self before knocking off Hart, a Pro Bowl defensive end and Len Eschmont Award winner. Bill Johnson (a center from the ‘50s), Bill Romanowski (a linebacker from the ‘90s) and Jeff Ulbrich (a linebacker from the ‘00s) are worth mentioning as well, but this is Bowman’s number to take as soon as he’s fully healthy again.

54: Lee Woodall (1994-1999)
Woodall was drafted by the 49ers just in time to win Super Bowl XXIX, but he wasn’t just a passenger on that team—he started most of the season at outside linebacker. It wasn’t until next year, however, that he became a Pro Bowl player, picking up his first of two nods. A sixth-round steal, Woodall always found himself in a position to make plays, even if he wasn’t the flashiest player ever.

55: Matt Hazeltine (1955-1968)
Hazeltine would earn the slot over Ahmad Brooks on longevity alone, starting 113 games at outside linebacker and center for the 49ers. He was better than just another starter, however; Hazeltine was a two-time Pro Bowler and five-year team captain in the center of the defense. After he passed away from ALS in 1987, the 49ers named an award after him, going to the most courageous and inspirational defensive player.

56: Fred Quillan (1978-1987)
Quillan was the starting center for the 49ers’ first two Super Bowls, earning Pro Bowl nods in 1984 and 1985. With 129 career games started for the franchise, he was a mainstay for those early teams Bill Walsh put together and key to helping make sure Joe Montana had enough time to stay upright and work the West Coast offense. It’s notable that he was one of Walsh’s first draft picks, earning a starting job halfway through his rookie season.

57: Frank Nunley (1967-1976)
Nunley was the middle linebacker on the first good NFL 49ers’ teams—the ones under Dick Nolan that made the playoffs in the early ‘70s. He was the key cog in Nolan’s defenses, calling the defensive signals in the era before defensive coordinators handled those sorts of things. Dan Bunz, who earned a couple rings as a linebacker with the team in the ‘80s, is worth a mention, but Nunley was the key member of the front-seven on his teams.

58: Keena Turner (1980-1990)
A starter for a decade and one of the few 49ers to have a Super Bowl ring from all of the 1980s’ teams, Turner only earned one Pro Bowl nod, in 1984, but was a valuable starter who likely deserved a couple more trips. Turner was a mainstay, even as the players around him changed. As the middle of the defense went from Dan Bunz to Riki Ellison to Matt Millen, Turner was the constant.

59: Willie Harper (1973-1983)
Harper suffered through the bad Joe Thomas years in the late ‘70s for the franchise. His teams had only one winning season from his rookie season until Bill Walsh arrived. Through it all, Harper started—he ended up with 100 games started for the franchise. His patience was rewarded, as he was a starting linebacker in 1981, earning a Super Bowl ring. Keith DeLong, a linebacker from the early ‘90s, is the only player who’s close.

60: Roland Lakes (1961-1970)
Racking up 124 starts for the 49ers over a decade, Lakes earned a starting spot on the defensive line at only 21 years old, still the team record (though Anthony Davis has him beat when it comes to all linemen). Never the best in the league or anything of that nature, Lakes’ consistency and toughness kept him in the lineup week in and week out, and that longevity, as much as anything else, gives him this slot.

61: Jesse Sapolu (1983-1997)
No contest here—Sapolu is one of the top offensive linemen in team history. A two-time Pro Bowler, Sapolu started 154 games at guard and center, blocking for both Joe Montana and Steve Young. Sapolu has a unique distinction—of the six 49ers with four Super Bowl rings as a member of the franchise, Sapolu is the only one to have done it including Super Bowl XXIX in 1994, rather than Super Bowl XVI in 1981. He was one of the last links to the early days of the 49ers’ dynasty when he finally retired after 1997.

62: Guy McIntyre (1984-1993)
McIntyre didn’t start as many games as some of the other linemen on the list, with only 97 games started as a 49er. For his first four seasons on the team, he was stuck behind the likes of Randy Cross and John Ayers. When he finally got a chance to start, however, McIntyre made five Pro Bowls in a row from 1989 through 1993. An honorable mention goes to Jeremy Newberry, who was a solid center for some awful 49ers teams in the early 2000s.

63: Bruno Banducci (1946-1954)
Pick your favorite era for this number. Banducci and Frankie Albert were both original 49ers who wore number 63, with Banducci taking it up after Albert switched to number 13, and so I’m giving them both half-credit here, listing Albert under the other number to give them both their day in the sun. If you’re looking for someone who wore the number for their entire career, though, you can go with Derrick Deese, who played well in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. No. 63 has an argument to be the top in franchise history.

64: Dave Wilcox (1964-1974)
A Hall of Famer who hasn’t had his uniform number retired by the team yet, Wilcox was one of the top linebackers in NFL history. On Paul Zimmerman’s All-Century team, he called Wilcox the best strongside linebacker of the 20^th century, manhandling tight ends on his way to earning two first-team All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl trips

65: Ray Brown (1996-2001)
Take your pick from a couple steady guards for this number. I’m going with Brown, a Pro Bowler in 2001 who ended up starting 95 games for the team at left guard. Had he played his entire career with the 49ers, he would be a no-brainer decision for the number, but he played twice as long for other teams as he did for the 49ers. As such, Randy Beisler’s 53 games started as both an offensive and defensive lineman at least get a tip of the hat.

66: Eric Heitmann (2002-2008)
Heitmann has an argument to be the best offensive lineman in the dead period of recent 49ers history—the post-Mariucci, pre-Harbaugh years of 2003-10. Heitmann started 114 games, first at guard and then as center, for those fairly awful teams. Elmer Collett, Bart Oates and Kevin Gogan all made Pro Bowls at this number, but none played even half as many games as Heitmann did, so he gets the longevity nod.

67: Chris Dalman (1994-1999)
Plenty of solid offensive linemen to choose from at this number, though none stand out hugely from the rest. Dalman started 64 games for the franchise, mostly at guard and center and mostly in his last four seasons and earned a Super Bowl ring, making him my pick ahead of Walt Rock and his 1965 Pro Bowl. John Watson, Ron Singleton and Roy Foster put up similar numbers of starts as offensive linemen, and Pete Kugler might be the second-best pure nose-tackle in franchise history.

68: John Ayers (1977-1986)
Ayers started 132 games, mostly at left guard, for the 49ers, picking up a couple Super Bowl rings on the way. He excelled as a pass protector, helping keep Joe Montana upright so the offense could tick. Howard Mudd, the legendary offensive line coach, earned Pro Bowls and an All-Pro nod at this number, but he only started 56 games for the team, and longevity matters when it comes to being the ultimate player at a number. After them, the best pick is probably Adam Snyder, who has had a long run with the team but not as many highlights.

69: Woody Peoples (1968-1977)
A two-time Pro Bowl guard who started 107 games for the franchise, Woody Peoples was one of the guards on the first 49ers teams to make the NFL playoffs, and a good one, too—those were the years he was named a Pro Bowler. Peoples missed only five games in his 49ers career and delivered a consistent level of run-blocking prowess for the likes of Vic Washington and Delvin Williams.

70: Charlie Krueger (1959-1973)
Another player with his number retired, Krueger played 16 seasons for the team on the defensive line, making the Pro Bowl twice. One of the steadiest players of his generation, Krueger helped anchor the top 49ers defenses during the Dick Nolan era. Krueger might be best remembered today for winning a lawsuit against the team dealing with not telling him all the facts about injuries he suffered while playing, but his record on the field shouldn’t be overshadowed by that—he was great enough for that not to be the entire story for his career.

71: Keith Fahnhorst (1974-1987)
With 193 games played and 160 starts, primarily at right tackle, Fahnhorst is the second-most experienced offensive lineman in franchise history. While he wins this number essentially by default, the former college tight end adapted well to his new professional position, playing well enough to get a first-team All Pro selection in 1984. The first half of his career came in the bleak years of the Joe Thomas era in the 1970s, but he was one of only four offensive starters from that era that Bill Walsh had as a starter in the 49ers’ first Super Bowl year—he went from the worst seasons in 49ers history to the best.

72: Norm Standlee (1946-1951)
We’re going back to the original AAFC 49ers to fill this number. Standlee played fullback and linebacker for the 49ers. A college star for the first Stanford team to use the T-formation, Standlee led the 49ers in rushing in 1946 with 651 yards and totaled 1,848 yards from scrimmage in seven years with the team. He was primarily a linebacker by the time the team joined the NFL and was good enough to get a Pro Bowl nod in 1950. Bill Belk, Cleveland Elam and Jeff Stover are worthy more modern-era candidates for this number.

73: Leo Nomellini (1950-1963)
The first ever NFL draft choice for the 49ers, Nomellini was one of the first three 49ers to have his number retired, along with Joe Perry and Hugh McElhenny. The best defensive lineman in franchise history, Nomellini made the Pro Bowl 10 times and was named a first-team All Pro six more times, on his way to being a member of both the 1950s All-Decade team and the 50^th Anniversary All-Time team. Those nods came on both side of the ball—two All-Pro nods at offensive tackle and four at defensive tackle. Leo “The Lion” was the best two-way player in franchise history.

74: Steve Wallace (1986-1996)
Joe Staley is coming up fast for this number, and you could make an argument that he already has—Staley’s a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the top left tackles in the game today, while Wallace only made the Pro Bowl in one season. It’s a longevity thing, more than anything else—Wallace played in 52 more games than Staley has and made a career out of protecting Joe Montana and Steve Young on the way to three Super Bowl victories.

75: Forrest Blue (1968-1974)
When the 49ers were making their first extended NFL success under Dick Nolan, Blue was the anchor for the line. The first years the 49ers made back-to-back playoff seasons was 1970 through 1972; Blue was the starting center then and was named a first-team All Pro in ’71 and ’72, as well as having four Pro Bowl nods besides. Ed Henke, a very solid defensive end in the ‘50s, is worth a note, as is Kevin fa*gan’s stint as a defensive end in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Bryan Knowles is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him @BryKno on twitter.