Before They Were Champions: The San Francisco 49ers 1958 Season [Paperback]

Martin S. Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2002

Attention San Francisco 49ers fans from the Golden Era--A New 6" X 9" 206 page book with 50 pages of photos. "Before They Were Champions-The San Francisco 49ers 1958 Season", authored by Martin Jacobs. The book is an indepth look at this multi-talented team which was loaded with 5 Hall of Famers: Joe Perry, Hugh McElhenny, Y.A. Tittle, Leo Nomellini, and Bob St. Clair along with star players: John Brodie, Billy Wilson, Gordy Soltau, R.C. "alley-oop" Owens, Abe Woodson, Matt Hazeltine,Joe Arenas, Dickey Moegle and a host of others. The 1958 49ers were called the "mystery team" of the NFL and now you will finally learn why. It was a season both magical and tragic; They were coached by the legendary Frankie Albert; During the season Perry surpassed the legendary Steve Van Buren as the all-time leading rusher with his biggest day rushing- 174 yards against Detroit; McElhenny had his biggest day rushing against the Packers; There was a quarterback controversy between Tittle and Brodie that lasted all season; Plus a big brawl with the Packers where 5 players were ejected! Also Bob St. Clair's fierce battles with Colts' Gino Marchetti in the trenches-and so much more. "Before They Were Champions" is not just the story of a team that comes of age, but a stirring, evocative diary of a season, and most poignantly, a collection of reminiscences which touches upon so much of what it meant to be a 49ers' fan growing up in the 1950's. Here is that story of those memorable 49ers, from that swirling tale of the 1957 playoff loss to the Detroit Lions--to perhaps the most adulated and reviled season in 49er history. Also the 100 Greatest 49ers are rated (those 49er players who never were crowned NFL or Super Bowl champions)For any fan of the 49ers of the 50's or thereafter, you will find this book candid and colorful and should be treasured.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fabulous book for any 49er fan who grew up in the Golden Era of 49ers football. -- Norman Jacobs, Football News

A must-read for anyone interested in the history of 49ers football. -- Charles Normark- Century Sports Network

The best book ever published on the 49ers of yesterday. -- Barry Noss- Sports Focus

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Martin S. Jacobs (December 2002)
• ISBN-10: 0615122361
• ISBN-13: 978-0615122366
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic and Heartbreak of the 1958 49ers' Season, January 13, 2003

By 

Jan Boehm (Santa Clara County, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Before They Were Champions: The San Francisco 49ers 1958 Season (Paperback)

"Before They Were Champions," the unfolding of The San Francisco 49ers' 1958 Season, is not just the story of a football team coming of age, but a stirring, candid journal of a roller-coaster season flowing from the pen of a 49ers' fan who grew up in that period.

The author, who attended 49er games as a youngster, faithfully kept a diary and souvenirs from all the games. He unfolds the story directly from his memoirs, not allowing future events to color the moment-to-moment narration. He writes in an exciting style, using the "present time" of each game--not from a past tense perspective. This involves the reader in a "You are there" experience, giving him the feeling that he is witnessing each game as it occurs.

The 1958 season was a drama in extremes. The team had high expectations, especially after just missing going to the NFL title game in 1957. The team was stocked with five future Hall of Famers: Y.A. Tittle, Joe Perry, Hugh McElhenny, Bob St. Clair, and Leo Nomellini. As the author describes it, "They had an offense good enough to win and a defense just good enough to lose."

During the season, the 49ers suffered their worst defeat ever at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.  Their owner, Vic Morabito,  labeled them "the worst 49er team ever" after a lopsided loss to the Bears. The season was marred by the big brawl with the Packers (when five players were ejected), by a quarterback controversy between Y.A. Tittle and John Brodie that lasted throughout the season, and by a season's tragic end when their legendary Head Coach, Frankie Albert, abruptly quit.

Miraculously, the 49ers rebounded to earn respect by defeating the Eagles, Lions, Packers, and staging their most decisive victory against the World Champion Baltimore Colts, winners of the first overtime NFL Championship game. They amassed impressive record-breakers like Joe Perry's biggest rushing day of 174 yards against Detroit-- shattering Steve Van Buren's all-time rushing record for career rushing yards, and McElhenny's biggest day of 159 yards rushing against the powerful Packers' team.

But those 49er wins and losses paint only part of the picture in Jacobs' book. There was grand old Kezar Stadium, a mad house populated by 49er "fanatics," a place where the cold bite of the Pacific Ocean fog would cut right through your blood stream and chill your bones. It was the birthplace of the famed Y.A. Tittle to R.C.Owens' "Alley-Oop" pass-plays and the epic site of the last quarter "cliffhangers" to beat the Steelers, Eagles and Lions with an array of all-star rookies: Abe Woodson, Jimmy Pace, Charlie Kruger, Fred Dugan and Jerry Mertens.

The book sparks with action and dejavu posters of the season that fans of the era will recall. The sepia brown photos throughout add to the nostalgic quality of the period about which the book is written from the perspective of an avid eyewitness. The reader will not be able to put down this stirring account of this less publicized season in the grand tradition of the San Francisco 49ers.