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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 26 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: RB Wendell Tyler (1983-1986)
The 49ers acquired Wendell Tyler in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams prior to the 1983 season. In three full seasons with the 49ers, he rushed for 2,985 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 1983, he and Roger Craig each rushed 176 times, with Tyler netting 856 yards, and Craig 725 yards. In 1984, Tyler took over the starting role, rushing 246 times for 1,262 yards. Craig re-took the starting role in 1985 (214 carries), with Tyler rushing 171 times for 867 yards. Tyler dealt with injuries in 1986, playing in five games. He was released during the season.
Tyler was a talented running back, but fumbles were a significant issue for him. In his time with the Rams, he had four fumbles in 1977 and two fumbles in 1978. However, he had nine in 1979, 11 in 1981 and 10 in 1982. When he joined the 49ers, he fumbled seven times in 1983, 13 times in 1984 and six times in 1985.
Who wears it now: CB Tramaine Brock (2010-present)
The current No. 26 has been around a lot longer than I originally thought. I knew Tramaine Brock had been on the 49ers for a while, but I forgot he dated back to 2010. The 49ers signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Belhaven. He actually made the roster out of training camp, but was cut when the team needed to bring in a wide receiver after Week 1. He then was signed to the practice squad. He moved back and forth between the roster and practice squad one more time that season.
He made the roster out of camp in 2011, and initially focused on special teams that year and in 2012. He started down the depth chart in 2013, but moved into the lineup due to injuries, also earning a contract extension. 2014 was a busted year for him due to toe and hamstring injuries, but he is back in the thick of things this year. It looks like he is viewed as the top cornerback, and will follow the opposing team's best receiver across the field.