The 49ers All-Anonymity Team of the Decade

With another decade of football in the books and plenty of all-decade teams making the rounds, Bernd Buchmasser over at Pats Pulpit came up with the novel idea of an all anonymity team of the decade. So novel, in fact, that in the spirit of “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” we thought that we would follow suit.

So what are the parameters? An all anonymity team is just that. A list of players that have played at least one game for the 49ers over the past decade, and have either slipped from our collective memories or simply never took roots at all.

So, with the formalities out of the way, let’s get started:

Offense

QB David Carr (2010): Unfortunately, the list starts with a tough one. The QB position always has the spotlight, so being anonymous isn’t an option. But Carr, while not anonymous, is the closest we’ll get at this position. He played in one game as a Niner, taking over for an injured Alex Smith in a 23-20 OT loss. Carr finished 5-13, 67 yards, and an interception.

RB Alfonso Smith (2014): Smith played four seasons in Arizona before arriving as a midseason fill-in for the 49ers. With both Gore and Hyde banged up, Smith made his way to the roster for six games, finishing with seven carries for 19 yards and three receptions for 11 yards.

RB Travaris Cadet (2015): Cadet played seven seasons in the NFL. In 2015 he shared time with three teams, including the 49ers, totaling 16 yards on seven carries.

WR Chad Hall (2012): If you know this name, then you get an A+ for your 49ers roster knowledge. Hall was a practice squad player on the 2012 49ers and was activated for one game - the NFC Championship Game against the Falcons. Hall didn’t record a single statistic, was inactive for the Super Bowl and cut that summer.

WR Steven Dunbar (2018): Dunbar was a UDFA in 2018, and eventually a practice squad player. He was activated for one game, a week 17 loss to the Rams, and played one offensive snap, and two special teams snaps. He is currently a member of the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the CFL.

TE Colin Clohety (2010): Cloherty was a member of the practice squad in 2010, but was activated for the last two games of the season. He registered three tackles on special teams and zero receptions.

TE Jim Dray (2016): A six-year veteran when he arrived in late 2016, Dray was active for two games, including a week 17 loss to the Seahawks - Chip Kelly’s last as head coach for the 49ers, and a game which saw Reuben Droughns lead the team in both rushing and receiving. Dray is now the offensive quality control coach for the Arizona Cardinals.

OT Andrew Gardner (2016): Gardner played one game for 49ers, and it was also the 2016 season finale against the Seahawks. He started and played all 61 snaps without a single penalty, in what would be the final game of his NFL career.

OG Alex Balducci (2016): In 2016, the 49ers signed Balducci to a three year, $1.35 million contract as a UDFA out of Oregon. He was active for the final three games of the season, registering three snaps on offense, and three on special teams, and cut prior to the following season. He was last spotted in 2020 as a member of the Dallas Renegades (XFL).

C Tim Barnes (2017): Barnes was the starting center for the Rams in 2015-16 prior to joining the 49ers. He was cut just before the season but re-signed in late November. Barnes was active for one game - a week 17 win over the Rams - totaling two snaps at center.

Honorable mention: RB Phillip Tanner (2014), WR Joe Hastings (2011), WR Trindon Holliday (2014), TE Asante Cleveland (2014), John Theus (2016)

Defense

DT Tony McDaniel (2017): A member of the 49ers for a total of 27 days, he was active for four games and totaled 69 snaps, registering five tackles, one for loss, and one pass defended. He finished the season with the Saints and retired shortly after.

DE Cam Johnson (2012): A member of the illustrious 2012 draft class (7th round), Johnson was active for two games in 2012, but did not register a tackle or sack. He was traded at the end of the year to Indianapolis for an undisclosed pick and would play in 26 games over the next four years for both the Colts and Browns.

DE Ryan Delaire (2018): Delaire was signed to the 49ers practice squad in late September 2018, and promoted in October. He was active for two games, totaling 23 snaps without a tackle or sack. He was waived the following spring and is still a free agent.

LB Thaddeus Gibson (2010): A 4th round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010, Gibson was released midseason and picked up by the 49ers who were 2-6 at the time. Gibson played in two games, registering three tackles and a forced fumble.

LB Nathan Stupar (2013): Stupar spent eight seasons total in the NFL, but only half a season with the 49ers. He played primarily on special teams but did register six snaps on defense in the season-opening victory over the Rams.

CB Chris Cook (2014): Originally a 2nd round pick by the Vikings, Cook made his way to the 49ers in 2014 as a free agent. He was active for six games that season, totaling 48 snaps on defense and 80 on special teams. He finished his 49ers career with six tackles, and one pass defended.

CB Prince Charles Iworah (2016): A 7th round pick in 2016 by one Trent Baalke, Iworah’s career never got off the ground. He played in only one game for the 49ers - a week 16 victory over the Rams. He participated in 16 snaps, all on special teams.

S Trent Robinson (2012): Another 2012 draft alum (6th round), Robinson managed one season with the 49ers, playing three games total. He was cut after the season and would be picked up by the Redskins, where he played for three seasons, finishing his career with 59 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.

Honorable mention: DT Leger Douzable (2017), DE Taylor Hart (2016), LB Diyral Briggs (2010), CB Chris Davis (2015-16), S Godwin Igwebuike (2018)

Special Teams

K Shane Andrus (2010): Andrus was signed in late November 2010, to fill in for an injured Joe Nedney, and played in one game - a week 12 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Andrus made two field goals (38,26), missed two (47,37), and made three extra points, contributing to 9 of the 49ers 27 points. That would also be Andrus’ last game in the NFL.

P Phil Dawson (2015): Had to cheat here, because punter is the one position that the 49ers have enjoyed consistency at over the decade. Andy Lee started every game from 2010-2014, Bradley Pinion every game from 2015-2018, and Mitch Wishnowski every game in 2019. But in 2015, with Pinion briefly dinged up, Dawson filled in by punting once (48 yards) late in the 4th quarter of a 27-6 loss to the Rams.

LS Jon Condo (2019): Didn’t think we could find an anonymous player from the 2019 team? Surprise! Condo, a 14 year NFL veteran, was picked up on September 17 to fill the early season revolving door at long snapper. He would snap the ball seven times in the Week 3 win over the Steelers, and then immediately retire following the games, ending his career.

And there you have it, your 2010-2019 All Anonymous Team for the San Francisco 49ers. A list of names that, for even the most diehard 49ers fans, would be difficult to recognize. Of course, it should be noted, that while we are making light of it, all of these guys overcame enormous odds to play even a snap in the league, and for that they deserve respect.

But most importantly - even if only for a fleeting moment - they were members of the greatest franchise in the National Football League: The San Francisco 49ers.