San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are an American football team playing in the NFC West division of the National Football League. The team is based in San Francisco, California and has played their home games in Candlestick Park since 1971. They played in Kezar Stadium from 1946 until 1970. The 49ers were the first NFL team to win 5 Super Bowls. They are tied at five, for second place, with the Dallas Cowboys behind the Pittsburgh Steelers who have won 6 Super Bowls. The team was named for the gold miners who arrived around 1849 in the midst of the California Gold Rush.

The five NFC Conference Championships and Super Bowl Championships occurred in 1981 (XVI), 1984 (XIX), 1988 (XXIII), 1989 (XXIV) and 1994 (XXIX). The 49ers won 17 NFC West Division Championships in 1970 – 1972, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986–1990, 1992–1995, 1997 and 2002. They made one AAFC playoff appearance in 1949. The team played in NFL playoffs in 1957, 1970 – 1972, 1981, 1983 – 1990, 1992 – 1998, 2001 and 2002.

Pro Football Hall of Fame players that were inducted as San Francisco 49ers include Leo Nomellini and Joe Perry (1969), Hugh McElhenny (1970), Bob St. Clair (1990), Jimmy Johnson (1994), Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana and Dave Wilcox (2000), Steve Young (2005), Fred Dean (2008) and Dmitri Palmer (2009). Coach Bill Walsh was inducted in 1993. Other San Francisco players who are in the Hall of Fame, but were inducted from other teams include Y. A. Tittle (1971), O. J. Simpson (1985), John Henry Johnson (1987), and Bob Hayes and Rod Woodson (2009).

Head Coach Mike Singletary came aboard half way through the 2008 season as the 16th head coach of history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. His NFL career includes 12 years with the Chicago Bears.

Passion, enthusiasm, honesty and loyalty are the self proclaimed traits that Singletary uses to describe himself and they are also what he expects from his team. Singletary’s hope is for a winning season that culminates in a Super Bowl win. His team is counting on him, as he is counting on his players including Isaac Bruce, Frank Gore, Shaun Hill, Josh Morgan, Joe Nedney, Allen Rossum and Patrick Willis to make this season all that it can be.