Longtime San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie died on Friday, the team announced. He was 90.
Brodie spent his entire 17-year career with the Niners, from 1957 to 1973. He was the third overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft and appeared in 201 games, including 159 starts, for San Francisco. Brodie piled up 31,548 yards and 214 touchdowns.
He holds 49ers records for most seasons played, has the second-most passing yards in franchise history and third-most passing touchdowns.
‘The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,’ York said. ‘As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment towards his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days.’
John Brodie accolades and achievements
Brodie started and played in five postseason games, where he threw for 973 passing yards with four touchdowns.
His teammates selected him to be the recipient of the team’s Len Eshmont Award in 1965 due to his inspirational and courageous play.
Brodie’s other NFL achievements include being a two-time All-Pro honoree (second team in 1965, first team in 1970), two-time Pro Bowl selection (1966, 1971) and NFL MVP in 1970.
He led the league twice in passing touchdowns (1965, 1970), and he led the league in passing yards three times (1965, 1968 and 1970). He had the best passer rating in football in 1970, and was the most accurate passer in 1958 and 1965.
He helped lead San Francisco to back-to-back NFC Championship Games in 1970 and 1971.
His No. 12 jersey was retired by the team in 1973. Brodie was subsequently inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and became a member of the 49ers Hall of Fame in 2009 (the inaugural class).
‘John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history,’ York said. ‘We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.’
John Brodie early life
Brodie was born on Aug. 14, 1935 in Menlo Park in San Mateo County, in the San Francisco-Bay Area.
Growing up in Oakland, he attended and graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1953.
He then went to Stanford University, where he lettered in both football (1954-56) and golf (1955-56). Brodie was named an unanimous All-American following his senior season at Stanford.
John Brodie life after football
Following his football career, Brodie served as an NFL and golf analyst for NBC Sports.
For two seasons, he was considered NBC’s No. 1 NFL analyst with play-by-play man Curt Gowdy. Brodie and Gowdy called Super Bowl 13 in January 1979, which saw the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 35–31.
After football and broadcasting, Brodie continued to pursue his golf career. He competed as a professional golfer from 1985 to 1998 in the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions). He had one win, 12 top-10 finishes and earned a total of $735,000.