CARDS: Topps 1970, Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: IP 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament. eBay, 2023

CAREER SHAPSHOT:

• John Brodie led the PCC in nearly all the passing categories in 1956 while playing QB at Stanford.
• He completed 139 of 240 passes for 1633 yards and 12 TDs that season and finished 7th in Heisman voting.
• Selected in the 1st round of the 1957 NFL Draft (3rd overall) by the San Fransisco 49ers.
• He’d be groomed as the heir apparent to Y.A. Tittle in San Fransisco.
• After a rough couple of seasons, he’d finally hit his stride by ’61 when he was firmly established as the team’s starter.
• He’d lead the league that year averaging 9.1 yards per attempt.
• In 1965, he had one of his finest seasons as a pro, completing 242 of 391 attempts, for 3112 yards and 30 TDs, and leading the league in most passing categories.
• Then in ’68 he’d complete 234 of 404 passes for 3020 yards (22 TDs) to lead all passers.
• 1970 saw another banner year with 24 TD passes on 223 attempts along with 2,941 yards to lead the NFL.
• Retiring from football after the 1973 season, Brodie played 17 seasons in all, appearing in 259 games, and starting 201 of them.
• Brodie’s love for sports ran deep and he quickly became a force on the PGA golf circuit, and later in life a member of the Champion’s Tour.
• He was also a gifted announcer and color man for both sports for many years.

ACCOLADES:

• All Pro 1965, ’70
• Pro Bowl 1965, ’70
• San Fransisco 49ers Hall of Fame
• College Football Hall of Fame (’86)
• Number 12 Retired- San Fransisco 49ers
• NFL Comeback Player of the Year 1965
• NFL MVP 1970
• African-American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame 2010
• Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
  

NOTES:

Way, way back in 1993, I met John Brodie on the course early in the day at the CGA Youth Golf Tournament with Steve Spurrier and Dick Anderson. He loved the drawing I did of him and he laughed because I didn’t have one of the Ol’ Ball Coach.

John really didn’t sign TTM very much until the last year of his life, and this certified like many others were usually out of reach financially for me. I just got lucky on this one.

Brodie should’ve been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame some time ago IMHO. I feel that his career, spanning 3 decades, and owning all the 49ers passing records at the time of his retirement really should merit a bit more consideration.

One of the many overlooked legendary quarterbacks who came through the 49er organization before Montana and Young, Brodie was a passing machine throughout the 1960s.

ATT	CPD	YDS	PCT	TD	INT	RAT
4491	2469	31548	55	214	224	72.3

EPITAPH:

1/23/26- On Friday January 26th, it was announced that John Brodie had passed away at the age of 90. No cause of death was given.