49ers All-Time Tight End

by David Fucillo on May 12, 2008 4:00 AM PDT in 49ers All-Time Team

Well, first off, it's no too surprising but congratulations to Steve Young as he ran away with the backup QB position on our All-Time team, with over 90% of the vote. Take that Andy Lee.

While deciding on the next position, I looked over the various options and thought tight end seemed as good a place to go to next as any. In the short passing game of the West Coast offense, the tight end proved quite important and since then the league has seen an expansion of the tight end to elite athletic levels.

However, while looking through the 49ers history, I noticed that there really haven't been that many great tight ends wearing the red, white and gold. As I've said repeatedly, I think Vernon Davis will reach that elite level at some point, but until then, the competition at the all-time TE position is scarce. Accordingly, I've decided to not even hold a vote. Simply put, Brent Jones is the best tight end in 49ers history and it's not all that close. Jones leads all 49ers tight ends in receptions, yards, touchdowns and Pro Bowl appearances and ranks in the top among all 49ers receivers in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

While Jones was never overrated as a tight end, I don't think he would qualify as underrated. I can't imagine anybody not recognizing the talent of Brent Jones and his major contributions during the 49ers glory days. He earned 3 Super Bowl rings and made four trips to the Pro Bowl. The 49ers had great receivers in Rice and Taylor and a great rushing/receiving threat in Roger Craig, but the importance of Jones to the West Coast offense is considerable. Throw in a streak of 125 consecutive games and you've got not only a franchise great, but an all-time great.

Honorable Mentions: Like I said, there is not a lot in the way of tight end talent in 49ers history. Ted Kwalick was a 3-time Pro Bowler at tight end in the early 70s, while Russ Francis was the primary TE and immediate predecessor of Brent Jones. I really thought Eric Johnson might have worked his way onto this type of list, but injuries have derailed him and now he's off in New Orleans. If Vernon Davis can continue to improve (he did improve his receptions and yards from year 1 to year 2), I don't see why he won't pass Brent Jones in the 49ers record books. Davis is a receiving tight end who is immensely athletic and could become the primary target of Smith/Hill/whomever. But that's an argument for another day.

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Brent Jones! Brent Jones! Brent Jones!

Brent was the man! He ran like a deer, too. Oh, wait that’s the other guy. Anyway, Jones wasn’t the most graceful a runner, but by golly he got the job done. I think the caption above is a great image of him (apparently doing his best Heisman pose) with arms flailing and legs a-churnin’. I will take a Brent Jones over a Vernon Davis/Jeremy Shockey any day of the week.

"To know clearly what pleases the world is but a brief dream." --Machiavelli

by jfainsf49 on May 12, 2008 6:39 AM PDT reply actions

John Frank deserves some thought for honorable mention

John Frank was a very good TE, but quit playing early to pursue his career as a surgeon. If he had played longer, he would have made more of an impact in the stats. He was tough, and brought alot of enegy to the niners when he played.

by illini49er on May 12, 2008 8:08 AM PDT reply actions

Vernon Davis! Vernon Davis! Vernon Davis!

I mean he was the 6th pick overall, he has to be the GOAT.

Believe me, if we disagree it is you that is wrong.

by methodrampage on May 12, 2008 8:13 AM PDT reply actions

good ol brent

he was just solid. never spectacular, or flashy, but always solid. He moved the chains and was a good red zone threat, and from what I remember, was also solid blocking

Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis

by wjackalope on May 12, 2008 8:15 AM PDT reply actions

And he was TOUGH

I think I saw him get hit midair and land on his head TWICE, and both times got up, took a play off, and kept going.

Of course, I might just be thinking of one time and repeating it… and I’m only pretty sure he kept playing. These crazy things from my childhood become mythical in my head and I can never tell if I’m actually remembering them right.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on May 12, 2008 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions

I think...

... that was one of his patented catches. He’d catch it in the air and tumble backwards because someone took his legs out.

by sfgfan on May 12, 2008 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree

I agree with Illini49er, but Brent Jones was the man. He was waived by the hated cowgirls and the team plugged him in in a very important role that made Joe Cool and Steve Legend succesful. He played several games with a concussion, too.

by dominatornaz on May 12, 2008 10:01 AM PDT reply actions

Brent Jones was always one of my favorite players. The guy was just a rock on the field. Extremely solid all around player.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on May 12, 2008 10:35 AM PDT reply actions

And a Santa Clara Bronco to boot

He was even the place kicker for a year.

by Nineraguan on May 12, 2008 12:56 PM PDT reply actions

brent jones was that dude.

by J2daZ on May 12, 2008 1:26 PM PDT reply actions

Well...

If Jeff freaking Garcia got over 10 votes at QB, then shouldn’t there be a vote for TE??

Sorry, just sick of the GARCIA WAS A PRO BOWLER OMG! HES TOTALLY TEH AWESOME AND RAWKS!! camp. Piss.

Proud pappa of....STEVE HOLM!!

by UnleashTheGore on May 12, 2008 1:36 PM PDT reply actions

1) We should only have a vote for Best TE if Garcia is on the list, just to see if anyone will vote for him on that list too.
2) Garcia was good. Not great, but good to very good. I will not continue to have this discussion.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on May 12, 2008 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

It's true, Garcia was good

But for him to recieve votes over a HOF QB is basically absurd.

Believe me, if we disagree it is you that is wrong.

by methodrampage on May 12, 2008 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions

this thread is about tight ends

enough with the QB talk already!

Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis

by wjackalope on May 12, 2008 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions

I completely agree with and endorse this statement.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on May 12, 2008 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Russ Francis?

“Russ Francis was the primary TE and immediate predecessor of Brent Jones.”

Not really,evidently whoever wrote this article forgot John Frank was the TE BEFORE Jones.

Frank replaced Francis,and then Jones replaced Frank.

by Shawn_1967 on May 12, 2008 4:14 PM PDT reply actions

my bad

I was looking at a list of rosters for each year and overlooked his 2 years starting.

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by David Fucillo on May 12, 2008 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions

I vaguely remember hearing Frank say that he decided to quit football shortly after seeing Krumrie’s injury (of course most should know that Frank is now a doctor) and he said something to the effect of ‘he didn’t want that to happen to him’.

by Shawn_1967 on May 12, 2008 8:22 PM PDT up reply actions

I found this classic photo looking up info to support that comment.
Defensive back Todd Bell #25 of the Chicago Bears has a few words with San Francisco 49ers tight end John Frank #86 during a game at Candlestick Park on December 14, 1987 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won 41-0.

I think that was the infamous game where Ditka threw gum at a heckler in the stands hehehe :D

by Shawn_1967 on May 12, 2008 8:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Frank & Jones

Actually, the chewing gum game was the last game of the 1991 season, which the Niners won 52-14 in a Monday Night game.

By the way, I was also a John Frank fan. He was less of a receiving threat than Jones, but much, much more physical. Jones was actually his back-up his first 2 years in the league, and failed to make any kind of impact at all (10 catches, 92 yards), leading to much consternation about whether he could handle the job in ‘89 after Frank abruptly retired following the Super Bowl the year before to go into medicine. It’s funny now to think about it, but at the time Jones was just a 5th round pick who’d been cut by the Steelers and mostly sat on the bench for the Niners, and everybody thought it was possibly a major downgrade.

"I been waitin' a long time for this! I been waitin' since the f**kin' amateurs!" --WILL "THE THRILL" CLARK

by Josh from Hollywood on May 12, 2008 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Ok thanks for that info about the MNF game,I remembered it was a blowout and on MNF,I was not to sure on the year,it was quite some time ago,old age memory loss and all of that can cloud things hehehe ;)

by Shawn_1967 on May 13, 2008 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions

let's not forget

Brent Jones got to wear the old school Uniform, so that automatically helps his cause

Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis

by wjackalope on May 12, 2008 4:14 PM PDT reply actions

Jones and Frank are the top 2

Jones is a no-brainer, but John Frank was truly a very good TE. He would have put up bigger numbers, but he retired early to become a medical doctor. That retirement opened the door up for Jones. Frank also caught a pass on The Drive in SB XXIII.

Lott's Prayer: Almost as many words as the Lord's Prayer, but the Lord wouldn't recognize any of them.

by Nosetackle Supreme on May 13, 2008 10:50 AM PDT reply actions

would've?

There is certainly the potential he would have put up the numbers, but if we’re going with potential Vernon Davis has put up larger numbers in less time and has the potential to put up some great numbers. Obviously he’s much more in the pass-catching tight end status, but potential is potential.

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by David Fucillo on May 13, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions