Hugh McElhenny has died at 93. He was the greatest broken field runner I ever saw. Not as powerful as Jim Brown, not as fast as Gale Sayers or O. J. Simpson, he was a big guy with remarkable ability to change speed/direction. At times he seemed to "feel" the presence of pursuers, likely due to an unusually wide range of peripheral vision. He was pretty much a 1 man show in a 1951 loss to Cal on a sloppy field that was my first time seeing him. Later, after he purportedly took a cut in pay to play for the 49'ers, I caught several of his games in old Kezar stadium. After retiring from the NFL. he owned a small group of supermarkets including 1 in Santa Clara where I once encountered him manning a check stand. RIP King Hugh!

Arguably the GOAT.

59bear said:

---

Hugh McElhenny has died at 93. He was the greatest broken field runner I ever saw. Not as powerful as Jim Brown, not as fast as Gale Sayers or O. J. Simpson, he was a big guy with remarkable ability to change speed/direction. At times he seemed to "feel" the presence of pursuers, likely due to an unusually wide range of peripheral vision. He was pretty much a 1 man show in a 1951 loss to Cal on a sloppy field that was my first time seeing him. Later, after he purportedly took a cut in pay to play for the 49'ers, I caught several of his games in old Kezar stadium. After retiring from the NFL. he owned a small group of supermarkets including 1 in Santa Clara where I once encountered him manning a check stand. RIP King Hugh!

---

Which grocery store in Santa Clara did he own?

Go Bears!

calbear80 said:

---

59bear said:

---

Hugh McElhenny has died at 93. He was the greatest broken field runner I ever saw. Not as powerful as Jim Brown, not as fast as Gale Sayers or O. J. Simpson, he was a big guy with remarkable ability to change speed/direction. At times he seemed to "feel" the presence of pursuers, likely due to an unusually wide range of peripheral vision. He was pretty much a 1 man show in a 1951 loss to Cal on a sloppy field that was my first time seeing him. Later, after he purportedly took a cut in pay to play for the 49'ers, I caught several of his games in old Kezar stadium. After retiring from the NFL. he owned a small group of supermarkets including 1 in Santa Clara where I once encountered him manning a check stand. RIP King Hugh!

---

Which grocery store in Santa Clara did he own?

Go Bears!

---

I'm not positive of the name but maybe McElhenny Supermarket (??). IIRC, he operated 3 stores in the area, this one was on El Camino Real

Boot said:

---

Arguably the GOAT.

---

There are some spectacular highlights including his 90+ yard punt return against the Rams) on YouTube.

59bear said:

---

Hugh McElhenny has died at 93. He was the greatest broken field runner I ever saw. Not as powerful as Jim Brown, not as fast as Gale Sayers or O. J. Simpson, he was a big guy with remarkable ability to change speed/direction. At times he seemed to "feel" the presence of pursuers, likely due to an unusually wide range of peripheral vision. He was pretty much a 1 man show in a 1951 loss to Cal on a sloppy field that was my first time seeing him. Later, after he purportedly took a cut in pay to play for the 49'ers, I caught several of his games in old Kezar stadium. After retiring from the NFL. he owned a small group of supermarkets including 1 in Santa Clara where I once encountered him manning a check stand. RIP King Hugh!

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime.

---

RichyBear said:

---

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime.

---

---

i remember that game. He was all over the field with his cutbacks and fakes. When he was done there were numerous jocks left on the field from the Niner defense.

RichyBear said:

---

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime. Marysville, CA was a regular stop on the circuitone night I was in a bar having a beer when

---

---

I never saw him in the ring but was in a local bar in Marysville (a regular stop on the "circuit") one night when he came in and had a beer a couple of stools away. Nomo was a great 2 way player even after the platoon system came into effect.

RichyBear said:

---

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime.

---

---

It was confirmed in a story in the Seattle Times a few years ago that he was on a regular stipend from a booster but I don't recall if the amount actually exceeded his rookie salary.

59bear said:

---

Hugh McElhenny has died at 93. He was the greatest broken field runner I ever saw. Not as powerful as Jim Brown, not as fast as Gale Sayers or O. J. Simpson, he was a big guy with remarkable ability to change speed/direction. At times he seemed to "feel" the presence of pursuers, likely due to an unusually wide range of peripheral vision. He was pretty much a 1 man show in a 1951 loss to Cal on a sloppy field that was my first time seeing him. Later, after he purportedly took a cut in pay to play for the 49'ers, I caught several of his games in old Kezar stadium. After retiring from the NFL. he owned a small group of supermarkets including 1 in Santa Clara where I once encountered him manning a check stand. RIP King Hugh!

---

He was very fast. Won three events at California State meet. Ran a 9.7 hundred the only time he took part in that event in hs. Very close to Sayers and OJ.
BTW in the backfield with Hugh, Joe Perry ran a 9.5 at Compton JC.
That was the most explosive running set ever.

Dude had wheels for sure. OJ best time 9.53. I bet our Vandalus had a sub 10.

I haven't heard any discussions about The King on local sport' programming.
I guess 'you hadda be there'. I'm so glad I was.

RichyBear said:

---

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime.

---

---

I once took a job in a bike shop in Palo Alto to learn the business, building, selling, and repairing bicycles. One day in the door walks a big muscular guy, who wanted to get his bike repaired. It was an old heavy coaster brake bicycle. He said the brake wouldn't work any more. He looked familiar, and I asked him, "Are you Leo Nomellini?" "Yep, I sure am. Here, kid, see this ring?" And he showed me his NFL Hall of Fame Ring. He said, "With this ring, I can get a free drink in every bar from here to San Francisco."

Later, my girlfriend, who had grown up in Palo Alto, told me that once or twice every year, Mrs. Nomellini would invite all the neighbors over for a big spaghetti feed.

Bob St. Clair, the big '49er offensive tackle, who always ate raw meat for dinner, owned a liquor store in Noe Valley. At the time, I lived about two blocks away, and every time I went to that store, St. Clair would tell me a story or two. He later became Mayor of Daly City.

Helltopay1 has another thread in memory of the King, Hugh McElhenny, in the Off Topic forum.

RichyBear said:

---

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime.

---

---

As I remember it, not only was a Washington booster group involved in some perks for McEllheny, but other teams in the Pacific Coast Conference were committing similar violations around the same time. Ronnie Knox, a star quarterback for UCLA, was wooed by Cal, and other teams, and Cal offered Ronnie's father a job as a Cal Assistant coach and other perks. USC and UCLA were also accused of similar infractions, along with the Oregon schools. By 1957 the PCC had dissolved, and by 1959, I think, the AAWU conference was formed in its place. When Cal won the NCAA Basketball title in 1959, and went to the 1959 Rose Bowl, it was as AAWU champions. Later the Pacific Coast Conference regrouped, including Stanford. I think Cal may have been penalized by the NCAA for the Ronnie Knox affair, along with promising fullback Jerry Drew (he broke Johnny O's single game rushing record) being suspended for half a season.

SFCityBear said:

---

RichyBear said:

---

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime.

---

---

As I remember it, not only was a Washington booster group involved in some perks for McEllheny, but other teams in the Pacific Coast Conference were committing similar violations around the same time. Ronnie Knox, a star quarterback for UCLA, was wooed by Cal, and other teams, and Cal offered Ronnie's father a job as a Cal Assistant coach and other perks. USC and UCLA were also accused of similar infractions, along with the Oregon schools. By 1957 the PCC had dissolved, and by 1959, I think, the AAWU conference was formed in its place. When Cal won the NCAA Basketball title in 1959, and went to the 1959 Rose Bowl, it was as AAWU champions. Later the Pacific Coast Conference regrouped, including Stanford. I think Cal may have been penalized by the NCAA for the Ronnie Knox affair, along with promising fullback Jerry Drew (he broke Johnny O's single game rushing record) being suspended for half a season.

---

I represented Dan Colchico when I was in my late 20's in connection with his beer distributorship. He was a great guy. He was pretty beat up from playing ball. At least now you get paid millions for trashing your body. He wasn't so lucky.

Dan Colchico - Wikipedia


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Colchico




*As usual, SFCityBear, as a native Bay Area guy, I so much enjoy your stories.

SFCityBear said:

---

RichyBear said:

---

Larno said:

---

I read a story some time ago about McElhenny supposedly taking a pay cut from college to sign with the 49ers. I don't recall all the details but he was married in college and between the job his wife had and perhaps a job he had, or at least some sort of income, they were actually making more money than his first contract with the Niners.

It's possible that McElhenny toke a pay cut to sign with the 49er, and thtat there was NO RECRUITING HANKY PANKY by the college or McElhenny. Back in the 50's NFL players salaries were NOT in the millions. Many NFL players had to take off season jobs to support themeselves and their families. not only 3rd stringers, but many starters.
Leo Nomolini was a All Pro DT with the 49ers. He was a professional wrestler in the off season.
Don Manokian (I might have the spelling wrong) was a top lineman at Stanford, a starting OG with the Oakland Raiders, then quit football because he made more money Rasling full time.

BTW-After the 49ers let McElhenny go to the Vikings, there was 1 game i saw on tv between Minnesota and the 49ers. McElhenny made not 1, but 2 magnificent TD runs against the 49ers where he changed direction several times, made tackles miss many times. and looked great, even though he was said to be passed his prime.

---

---

As I remember it, not only was a Washington booster group involved in some perks for McEllheny, but other teams in the Pacific Coast Conference were committing similar violations around the same time. Ronnie Knox, a star quarterback for UCLA, was wooed by Cal, and other teams, and Cal offered Ronnie's father a job as a Cal Assistant coach and other perks. USC and UCLA were also accused of similar infractions, along with the Oregon schools. By 1957 the PCC had dissolved, and by 1959, I think, the AAWU conference was formed in its place. When Cal won the NCAA Basketball title in 1959, and went to the 1959 Rose Bowl, it was as AAWU champions. Later the Pacific Coast Conference regrouped, including Stanford. I think Cal may have been penalized by the NCAA for the Ronnie Knox affair, along with promising fullback Jerry Drew (he broke Johnny O's single game rushing record) being suspended for half a season.

---

Knox started his collegiate career at Cal playing on the frosh team in 1953. To my knowledge, step-dad Harvey Knox was never on staff in Berkeley but he did play a role in Ronnie's transfer to UCLA, purportedly, by demanding that Pappy guarantee that his son would replace returning starter Paul Larsen and Pappy refused. Technically, Ronnie did not play QB at UCLA which ran a single wing offense under Red Sanders in which the QB is a blocker. Knox was a tailback for the Bruins,