San Francisco 49ers great John Brodie, the 1970 NFL Most Valuable Player, died Friday. He was 90.
The star quarterback played all 17 of his NFL seasons with the 49ers from 1957-73.
“The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” 49ers co-chairman Dr. John York said in a statement. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment toward his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days.
“John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.”
Brodie guided San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game in the 1970 and 1971 seasons, but the club lost to the Dallas Cowboys on both occasions.
Brodie ranks second in 49ers history with 31,548 passing yards behind Joe Montana and third with 214 touchdown passes behind Montana and Steve Young. The two-time Pro Bowl selection was first-team All-Pro in 1970 and second-team in 1965 and was inducted into the 49ers Hall of Fame in its inaugural class of 2009.
Brodie led the NFL with 2,941 yards and 24 touchdowns during his MVP season of 1970. The 49ers went 10-3-1 in the regular season.
Brodie achieved career-best numbers of 3,112 yards and 30 touchdowns in 1965. His No. 12 jersey was retired upon his retirement in 1973.
Brodie played college football at Stanford from 1954-56 and was a consensus All-American in his final season. He was the No. 3 overall pick by the 49ers and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
He was also on Stanford’s golf team and later played on the Senior PGA Tour. Brodie won the Security Pacific Senior Class in 1991, outdueling George Archer and Chi Chi Rodriguez in a playoff at Los Angeles.
Brodie played in the U.S. Open in both 1959 and 1981 — a record 22-year difference between appearances — and failed to make the cut both times.
Brodie also served as a football and golf commentator for NBC. He was in the booth with legendary play-by-play voice Curt Gowdy and Merlin Olsen for the Super Bowl XIII broadcast on Jan. 21, 1979 for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ memorable 35-31 victory over the Cowboys.
