49ers trivia: Who has the longest carry in team history?

There aren’t many plays in football that are as thrilling as a long touchdown run. These electric plays usually involve the runner going full Derrick Henry--when he ran through the entire defense--or if you remember Colin Kaepernick late in the 2014 season when he outran the whole San Diego Chargers defense for a 90-yard touchdown run.

That looked way too easy.

The San Francisco 49ers have had plenty of memorable runs in the history of their franchise. Frank Gore had a pair 72-yard rushes in his first two years as a Niner. Against Seattle in 2009, he ran for a 79-yard touchdown and an 80-yard touchdown in the same game. It’s not the greatest running back in 49ers history who holds the record. Do you know who does hold it?

Even the more casual fans would likely know the answer. It was the season opener in 1998. The score is 30-30 in overtime against the New York Jets. Here’s how different things were over 20 years ago; there were five exhibition games. Maybe things weren’t too different. During those exhibition games, Garrison Hearst carried the ball 23 times for 51 yards. Hearst finished the opener with 187 yards on 20 carries. He capped it off with this epic 96-yard touchdown run breaking numerous tackles to give the 49ers a victory. Check the grainy footage: