1969 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in the Senior Pool. We then asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 24th official class;

Below are the final results of this project based on 30 votes.

Remember that the group took a vote in “1969”, and we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall PROVIDING THEY MAKE 50% of the vote.  This will be put to a vote again in “1972”.

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1969:

This is for the “Senior Era”,

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1969.

About the 1969 Inductees:

Joe Perry FB, SFO 1948-60 & 1963 & BAL 1961-62: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

Joe Perry played football for the Naval Air Station Alameda after a stint in the military, and despite being African-American in the 1940s and playing for a non-big-time school, Perry was highly scouted by the NFL and the upstart All-American Football Conference.  Perry opted for the San Francisco of the AAFC over the Los Angeles Rams, and the Fullback became the first black player in team history.

As a rookie, Perry led the AAFC in Rushing Touchdowns (10) and did so again as a sophomore (8) while also finishing first in Rushing Yards (783).  The 49ers and other AAFC teams merged with the NFL, and Perry remained a dominating force. Now paired with Running Back Hugh McElhenny and Quarterback Y.A. Tittle, San Francisco had their "Million Dollar Backfield," among the best in the NFL.

In 1953, Perry, who was coming off his first Pro Bowl, had another while leading the NFL in Rushing Yards (1,018), Rushing Touchdowns (10), Yards From Scrimmage (1,209), and Touchdowns (13).  Perry was named a First Team All-Pro, and the United Press called them their MVP, the first time a black player won a version of the MVP.  The following season, he made history as the first player to have a back-to-back 1,000 Yard Rushing season (1,049), and he again led the league in that stat and YFS (1,252). 

While that was the highlight of Perry's career, he remained a viable option for the 49ers through the rest of the decade. After a poor 1960 season, Perry was traded to the Baltimore Colts, where he played for two years before being traded back to San Francisco for one year before retiring.  

Perry would total 10,194 Yards From Scrimmage with 79 Touchdowns as a 49er, and San Francisco retired his no.34 in 1971, making him the first of two players to earn that honor.  In 2009, he was an inaugural member of their franchise Hall of Fame. 

Leo Nomellini DT-T, SFO 1950-63: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his first Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

A two-time All-American and College Football Hall of Famer from the University of Minnesota, Leo “The Lion” Nomellini was the 11^th Overall Pick of the NFL Draft in 1950, a selection that paid dividends for over a decade for the San Francisco 49ers.

Nomellini was a two-way Tackle over his career, with the early part shining at Offensive Tackle, where he was a First Team All-Pro in 1951 and 1952.  Nomellini would then be a four-time First Team All-Pro at Defensive Tackle (1953, 1954, 1957 & 1959), making the Italian-born gridiron star one of the few who could make that claim.   

Whether he was playing offensively or defensively, his freakish strength and speed made him an instant mismatch for whoever opposed him, and there is no question that he was San Francisco's best player of the decade.  Nomellini was also known for his durability, as he never missed a game over his fourteen seasons in the NFL.  

Worth mentioning, Nomellini would wrestle during the off-season, was a multi-time tag team champion, and was inducted posthumously into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa. 

Bob St. Clair, T, SFO 1953-63.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

Bob St. Clair was a Third Round Pick from Tulsa in the 1953 Draft, and the player they called the "Geek" would make the San Francisco area his home for the rest of his life.

As a rookie, St. Clair won the starting Right Tackle job and held that occupation until he retired in 1963.  One of his day's best blockers, St. Clair, was as tough as he was intelligent.  St. Clair participated in five Pro Bowls and was also a Second Team All-Pro five times.  The Lineman was also excellent on Special Teams, and was credited with blocking ten Field Goal Attempts.

Coincidentally, St. Clair became the Mayor of nearby Daly City, California, from 1958 to 1964 and was a County Supervisor in San Mateo County from 1966 to 1974.

Ernie Stautner DT-DE-G, CHI 1922-25 & CLE 1923.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1969 on his 1^st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

A career-Steeler, Stautner played from 1950 to 1963, where he played mostly on the defensive side where the German-born player would earn trips to the Pro Bowl nine times with a First Team All-Pro Selection in 1958.  The Steelers were generally not very good during Stautner’s era, but that never stopped him from playing through many injuries, including cracked ribs, broken shoulders, and a protruding thumb bone.  It is unknown how many Sacks he had, but it is primarily conjectured that he was among the best in that department in the 1950s.  Notably, Stautner also took his share of snaps as an Offensive Guard.

Following his playing days, Stautner became a successful defensive coach, and he won Super Bowl Rings with the Dallas Cowboys. Stautner entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.  Stautner entered the Steelers' Hall of Honor in 2017 as part of the first class.  Notably, he is one of two franchise history players to have his number retired by the team. 

Joe Perry played football for the Naval Air Station Alameda, after a stint in the military, and despite being African-American in the 1940s and playing for a non-big-time school, Perry was highly scouted by both the NFL and the upstart All-American Football Conference.  Perry opted for the San Francisco of the AAFC over the Los Angeles Rams, and the Fullback became the first black player in team history.

Although Steven Tyler may look like an aging transvestite, there was no doubt that Aerosmith was one of the top Rock acts of the 70’s.  With a successful comeback in the 80’s that lasted well over a decade, the band cemented their legacy as one of the most well known Rock bands in American history.

Inducted in 2001.  From Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.