Former 49ers Great Joe "The Jet" Perry Passes Away

by David Fucillo on Apr 25, 2011 8:06 PM PDT in In Memoriam

As we look through 49ers history, Roger Craig and Frank Gore usually get a ton of love in the argument over best running back in 49ers history. Roger Craig was a dual rushing/receiving threat while Marshal Faulk and Ladanian Tomlinson were still learning about football. Frank Gore has put up some monster numbers in a short period of time while playing on some fairly abysmal offenses. Both are great running backs.

However, before Craig or Gore, or Ricky Watters or anybody else came along, the 49ers had a running back named Joe Perry. Although Frank Gore is climbing the team's all-time leaderboard, Joe Perry remains the franchise's all-time leading rusher with 8,689yards and 68 rushing touchdowns. He made his way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969 after a career that included one MVP, two first-team All Pros, and three Pro Bowl nods. He was a part of the Million Dollar backfield that included Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson, and Y.A. Tittle.

in light of his passing, I know we've got some NN community members that have been 49ers fans since waaaaay back in the day. All I know about Perry and those old 49ers days is what I've read on the Internet and in books. If you had a chance to watch Perry play, or have stories you heard from your dad or grandfather, feel free to post them in the comments.

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Joe Perry still is the 49ers rushing leader...

After all of these years, that is amazing. This guy was really good! He has my respect, for sure.

Alaska is a state, dammit! Can I get a Niner game on TV up here?

by kinglouie33 on Apr 25, 2011 9:04 PM PDT reply actions

He was a great one!

I can barely remember Joe “the Jet” Perry. I remember my father and grandfather raving about him, as I brought them Burgermeister beers, including the church key.

He lived in the Bay Area and bowled for many years in South City.

Let’s drink to the hard working people
Let’s drink to the lowly of birth
Raise your glass to the good and the evil
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth.

Long live The Jet!

by Rastaguytoday on Apr 25, 2011 9:11 PM PDT reply actions

The 49ers were originally one of the founding members of the All-America Football Conference,

whose inaugural season was 1946 and whose final season was 1949, at which time three AAFC members (the 49ers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore Colts) joined the NFL. Perry joined the 49ers for the 1948 season and played two years in the AAFC with them before they joined the NFL. His career stats as given include his two seasons in the AAFC and another two seasons late in his career with the Baltimore Colts (the stats Fooch provided above were for his 14 seasons as a 49er). He rushed for 9723 in 16 seasons, averaged 5.0 yds/carry, scored 71 touchdowns rushing, caught 260 passes for another 2021 yards and an additional 12 touchdowns. When he retired after the 1963 season, he was the NFL’s all-time leading career rusher, until overtaken by Jim Brown.

My earliest memories as a football fan are of sitting in old Kezar Stadium with my dad, watching Perry and his teammates, including Hugh McElhenny, YA Tittle, Bob St. Clair, and Leo Nomellini. I don’t have any special Joe Perry memories, I was pretty young back then, but it was, and still is, very special to me.

After all was said and done, a lot more got said than done.

by OldJock on Apr 25, 2011 9:13 PM PDT reply actions

Currently stifling the bacon, the world.

by howtheyscored on Apr 25, 2011 9:37 PM PDT reply actions

RIP

by SanFranciscoKnights on Apr 25, 2011 10:33 PM PDT reply actions

i believe that Perry was NFL Player of the Year for not one but two years (1954 and 1955). He was also part of the All-Decade Team of the 50s.
Truly one of the Niners greats. RIP.

by Mood_Indigo on Apr 25, 2011 11:12 PM PDT reply actions

Wonderful Niner of the 50's

Joe the Jet was mostly before my time (I first saw 9’rs in Sept of 1957 in an exhibition game in 1957 vs. Ollie Matson and the Chicago Cardinals in Seattle.
My aunt did date (briefly) Hugh McElhenny at U of W…

RIP Joe

by DrRick009 on Apr 26, 2011 4:16 AM PDT reply actions

Wonderful Niner of the 50's

RIP Joe

by DrRick009 on Apr 26, 2011 4:16 AM PDT reply actions

The Old Niners

were the opposite of today’s teams – mostly offense (great offense) & not so great D. If not for backfield injuries they beat Detroit by 3 TDs and have at least one more title.
Nobody ever stopped the offense. My first in-person game, pre Candlestick, was watching them mash Green Bay which was on its way to the title.
Going to a game at Kezar was more like a high school game today. If you could find a place to park, it was great and intimate. I attended a Giant game in a box and it was sterile, with folks chatting and watching the game on the tube. The real fans will always be in the cheap seats.

by oldfoggy on Apr 26, 2011 11:00 AM PDT reply actions