If you go off Hall of Fame recognition, the 1950’s San Francisco 49ers should have dominated the league. From the “Million Dollar Backfield” of Hugh McElhenny, YA Tittle, Joe Perry and John Henry Johnson to studs like Leo Nomellini and Bob St. Clair, they had the goods… but they made only one playoff appearance, and that was a division playoff they lost to the Detroit Lions. So, why did the 49ers not dominate the era like the Browns or Lions?
Well, Nomellini’s 1960 card gives us a hint. Leo was 6’3” and nearly 260 pounds, but a disturbing number of his teammates were not even two feet tall, as you can tell by two of them doing their “Let’s try to touch Leo’s thigh” drill implemented by coach Red Hickey. Others, like the one behind him, were not much taller, barely reaching waist-level with Nomellini. That had to be uncomfortable in the showers after practices and games.
In theory, I’m sure tackling a fifteen-inch running back or receiver is difficult, but the whole idea of such a player being able to handle a ball at all—much less catch a Tittle “Alley-Oop” pass—seems rather fool hardy. And when Jim Parker or Fuzzy Thurston is lead blocking, a two-foot tall linebacker won’t offer much resistance. And I have to believe that a defensive back the size of a corgi was not much of a challenge against Raymond Berry.
Was this a conscious choice by the 49ers? Was Hickey that fascinated with tiny, tiny players? Game films from much of that era were destroyed by the DeBartolo family in a “cleaning house” measure when they bought the team in 1977, so scant evidence remains of this failed venture. But, Nomellini had to have been discouraged when lining up next to a 49er lineman barely bigger than a loaf of garlic bread. In fact, Nomellini retired a few years later, no doubt frustrated by the failed experiment.
Check out this video on the greatness of Leo Nomellini…
