joe amos yaks said:
SFCityBear said:
Do you remember when Washington's Hugh McElhenny was signed by the 49ers, and everyone knew he took a pay cut when he signed?
I was an 8-yr old 4th grader that season, but I don't remember that bit of info.
Was Joe Perry on that 1952 roster?
Yes, Joe "the Jet" Perry was in that backfield. Along with quarterback Y.A. Tittle, Perry and McElhenny were the starting backfield in the 1953 Pro Bowl. In 1954, John Henry Johnson joined the 49ers who ran a T-formation, together with Tittle, Perry, McElhenny formed the "Million Dollar Backfield." Johnson played football for St Marys, but when St Marys dropped football in 1950, he transferred to Arizona State, and was drafted by the Steelers, but played a year for Calgary in the CFL, where he was the League's Most Valuable Player.
I think I was 10 years old and in the 6th grade when McElhenny was drafted. He was so explosive. He could fake any tackler out of his shoes, and if that failed, he had an unbelievable straightarm. I grew up two blocks from the old Kezar Stadium. A bunch of us kids used to climb up the fire escape to the roof of the old Poly High School to watch the 49er games. The cops used to make us come down off the roof, but when they left, we went right back up to the roof. The police finally gave up.
Link to article on the Million Dollar Backfield:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Dollar_Backfield_(San_Francisco_49ers)