During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. Today, the San Francisco 49ers are the focus.
San Francisco 49ers Mount Rushmore
Joe Montana
Joe Montana put the San Francisco 49ers on the map and won four Super Bowls during his career. Montana was famous for his ability to scramble and keep plays alive. Every San Francisco and Dallas fan remembers “The Catch” in the 1981 NFC Championship Game, which was one of many signature career moments. Montana helped establish the 49ers as the team of the 1980’s and he connected with another future Hall of Famer, Jerry Rice, on many great throws. Unfortunately, Montana’s career in San Francisco ended due to injuries, and Steve Young eventually replaced him. Montana was traded to Kansas City in 1993, but he will always be remembered as one of the best quarterbacks of all-time.
Jerry Rice
Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice is arguably the best at his position ever. After being a first-round choice in the 1985 NFL draft, Rice proved that he was simply from another planet. Rice started his career with Joe Montana under center and broke through in his second year with over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. Rice went on to win Player of the Year in 1987 when he set the league record for 23 receiving touchdowns in a season. Rice then went on to become the 1988 Super Bowl MVP. He helped bridge the gap between Montana and Steve Young and finished his career with 38 NFL records. Rice finally retired in 2004 after 20 dominant NFL seasons.
Steve Young
Steve Young was Joe Montana’s replacement and expectations could not have been higher. I recently listened to Steve Young speak at an event and he talked about how for the first few years of his career all he ever heard was “Montana would have made that play” and “We want Joe!” and it drove Young crazy. However, he was able to focus and eventually led the 49ers to the 1994 Super Bowl Championship and finish as the MVP. Young won the league MVP in 1992 and held the single-season quarterback rating record of 112.8 at the time of his retirement. Young certainly benefited from having Rice as a target, but he created many plays on his own as well. He was a very accurate quarterback and he wrapped up his career in 1999 after 13 seasons with the 49ers.
Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott was the eighth overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft and he definitely earned his selection. Lott started at the left cornerback position during his rookie year and he helped lead the 49ers defense to a Super Bowl Championship that year. He was the second rookie to return three interceptions for touchdowns in NFL history. Lott was a hard hitter and played both cornerback positions as well as both safety positions throughout his career. Throughout his illustrious career, he managed to reach the Pro Bowl ten times. His finest season came in 1986 when he led the league with 10 interceptions and had 77 tackles. He was also a clutch playoff performer, as he had nine interceptions, 89 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two touchdowns in 20 playoff games. Lott is easily the best defensive 49er of all-time.
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