The San Francisco 49ers kick off the 2015 NFL regular season on Monday Night Football, on September 14. That game. means San Francisco is now a mere 49 days away from kicking off its 2015 regular season. In the spirit of that approaching date, I thought I would steal this idea from our Oakland Raiders site.
Who wore it best: DB Jeff Fuller (1984-1989)
Of course we had to use Sourdough Sam for the picture! As long as the 49ers are around, I think it's fair to say he wears it best.
But seriously, the 49ers have had some solid players wear No. 49, but not huge names in franchise history. I'd say Jeff Fuller gets the nod for wearing it best. He spent six seasons with the 49ers, before his career was unfortunately cut short by injury. In 1989, he suffered two fractured vertebrae and torn nerves near his shoulder and neck following a collision with a member of the New England Patriots. There are some interesting articles about the hit, and how things changed after the hit.
Another intriguing 49 is fullback Earl Cooper. The 49ers actually spent a first round pick on Cooper. He had two strong years to start his career, including big catches in the drive leading to The Catch, in the first Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Who wears it now: FB Bruce Miller (2011-present)
Miller was the first player to wear No. 49 in six years, and the first since Jeff Fuller to make a particularly big impact. Miller faces some competition from Trey Millard, but is the favorite to secure the role for another season. Miller is signed through 2017, but they would not be looking at particularly awful cap issues if they decided to move on. He had his legal issues this offseason, but at this point he seems to be out of the 49ers doghouse. Any release would be due to a younger cheaper option matching or outperforming him.