In a bit of an upset, Joe Nedney reversed the 2008 ballot and earned the all-time kicker position over Ray Wersching, claiming 51% of the vote. I'm not shocked by the result, but intrigued by the reversal from a year ago.
With training camp a little over a week away, we'll be getting into more immediate topics of discussion pretty much through the end of the season. Before we get there, I figured one of the more contentious positions should be discussed in our all-time team. A year ago Montana ran away with 76% of the vote. Some people like Young more than Montana, but when it comes to the all-time team, folks went with the rings. It actually seemed like the debate was more about why people voted for Jeff Garcia. Either way, the 49ers have had a host of impressive quarterbacks dating back to the likes of Y.A. Tittle. So, who's your
Joe Montana (1979-1992): I could include absolutely nothing here and it wouldn't matter. Joe Montana was the face of the 49ers in the 80s as they went from perennial doormat to Team of the 80s. Montana stands #1 in franchise history in career passing yards, touchdowns, completions and of course Super Bowl rings. In polls of who you would want leading your team down with less than 2 minutes to go, most people take Montana. While he was surrounded by plenty of talent, he made the most of it and was a leader of his teams.
Steve Young (1987-1999): It's fitting that Young and Montana will be battling for the starting position. After years in Montana's shadow, Steve Young got the proverbial monkey off his back in 1994 with one of the greatest single seasons. Young finished his career with the greatest QB rating in NFL history. While he may not have had the sped of a Vick, Steve Young was one of the truly great rushing quarterbacks in NFL history. Combine that with uncanny accuracy and you're talking about an all-around threat rarely seen in NFL history.
John Brodie (1957-1973): Brodie finished his career third in the NFL in all-time passing yards and ranks as one of the greatest players NOT in the NFL Hall of Fame. Brodie ranks second in 49ers history in passing yards and third in touchdowns, while playing for plenty less than stellar teams.
Y.A. Tittle (1951-1960): While Tittle spent plenty of time in Baltimore and New York, his formative years came with the 49ers as a 4-time Pro Bowler. Considering the slowly developing passing game back in the day, 16,000+ yards in San Francisco is nothing to sneeze at.
Jeff Garcia (1999-2003): While we might all agree Jeff Garcia was not the greatest quarterback on straight numbers, he certainly ranks up there for what he did in spite of his shortcomings. Garcia was rescued from the CFL by Bill Walsh in one of his best moves since trading for Steve Young. Garcia was a 3-time pro Bowler in his five seasons and in spite of such a short tenure, he ranks 4th in franchise history for passing yards and fifth in passing touchdowns. While he was certainly not a scrambler the caliber of Steve Young, he was quite fleet of foot, which helped for his lack of traditional passing tools. And the fact that he had to put up with T.O. certainly counts for something.