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1953 San Francisco 49ers
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Record: 9-3-0, Finished 2nd in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 372 points (31.0/g), 1st of 12 in the NFL.
Allowed 237 points (19.8/g), 6th.
Differential of 135 points (11.2/g), 3rd.
Expected W-L: 8.9-3.1.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +2 (0.2/g), 5th.
Coached by Buck Shaw (9-3-0)
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1953 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Y.A. Tittle* | 27 | 5 | 10 | 149 for 259, 2,121 yards, 20 td, 16 int, & 14 rushes for 41 yards and 6 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1948 |
| FB | Joe Perry*+ | 26 | 5 | 0 | 192 rushes for 1,018 yards, 10 td, & 19 catches for 191 yards and 3 td | |
| LH | Joe Arenas | 28 | 2 | 0 | 72 rushes for 380 yards, 6 td, & 10 catches for 113 yards and 1 td | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 89th pick / 1951 |
| RH | Hugh McElhenny*+ | 25 | 1 | 0 | 112 rushes for 503 yards, 3 td, & 30 catches for 474 yards and 2 td | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 9th pick / 1952 |
| LE | Gordie Soltau* | 28 | 3 | 0 | 43 catches for 620 yards, 6 td | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 30th pick / 1950 |
| LT | Doug Hogland | 22 | Rook | 0 | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 93rd pick / 1953 |
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| LG | Jerry Smith | 23 | 1 | 0 | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 94th pick / 1952 |
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| C | Bill Johnson* | 27 | 5 | 0 | ||
| RG | Bruno Banducci | 33 | 9 | 0 | Phi/Pit Eagles/Steelers / 6th / 42nd pick / 1943 |
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| RT | Bob St. Clair | 22 | Rook | 0 | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 32nd pick / 1953 |
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| RE | Billy Wilson | 26 | 2 | 0 | 51 catches for 840 yards, 10 td | San Francisco 49ers / 22nd / 283rd pick / 1950 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Charley Powell | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| LDT | Al Carapella | 26 | 2 | 0 | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 54th pick / 1951 |
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| MG | Art Michalik* | 23 | Rook | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 17th / 198th pick / 1951 |
| RDT | Leo Nomellini*+ | 29 | 3 | 12 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 11th pick / 1950 |
| RDE | Bob Van Doren | 83 | Rook | 0 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 59th pick / 1953 |
|
| LLB | John Morton | 24 | Rook | 0 | 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| RLB | Jack Manley | 24 | Rook | 0 | ||
| LDH | Rex Berry | 29 | 2 | 0 | 7 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 14th / 162nd pick / 1951 |
| RDH | Lowell Wagner | 30 | 7 | 0 | 6 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| LS | Billy Mixon | 24 | Rook | 0 | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 28th pick / 1951 |
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| RS | Fred Bruney | 22 | Rook | 0 | 5 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 35th pick / 1953 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Gordie Soltau* | 28 | 3 | 0 | 10 of 15 field goals & 48 of 49 extra points | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 30th pick / 1950 |
| P | Jim Powers | 25 | 3 | 2 | 42 punts for a 40.6 average, 1 blocked | San Francisco 49ers / 26th / 335th pick / 1950 |
| PR | Hugh McElhenny*+ | 25 | 1 | 0 | 15 punt returns for a 6.9 average and 0 td | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 9th pick / 1952 |
| KR | Joe Arenas | 28 | 2 | 0 | 16 kick returns for a 34.4 average and 0 td | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 89th pick / 1951 |
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Joe Arenas | 28 | HB-DB | 12 | 0 | 180 | 5-11 | Nebraska-Omaha | 12/12/1925 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 89th pick / 1951 |
| 88 | Harry Babcock | 23 | E-DE | 10 | 0 | 193 | 6-2 | Georgia | 8/12/1930 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 1st pick / 1953 |
| 27 | Ken Bahnsen | 23 | FB | 7 | 0 | 200 | 5-10 | North Texas | 2/19/1930 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 21st / 248th pick / 1953 |
| 63 | Bruno Banducci | 33 | G | 12 | 0 | 216 | 5-11 | Stanford | 11/11/1920 | 9 | Phi/Pit Eagles/Steelers / 6th / 42nd pick / 1943 |
| 23 | Rex Berry | 29 | DB-HB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | BYU | 9/9/1924 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 14th / 162nd pick / 1951 |
| 33 | Hardy Brown | 29 | LB-DB-FB | 12 | 0 | 193 | 6-0 | SMU,Tulsa | 5/8/1924 | 5 | New York Giants / 12th / 104th pick / 1947 |
| 56 | Pete Brown | 23 | C-LB | 12 | 0 | 210 | 6-2 | Georgia Tech | 12/19/1930 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 10th / 118th pick / 1953 |
| 45 | Fred Bruney | 22 | DB | 12 | 0 | 184 | 5-10 | Ohio State | 12/30/1931 | Rook | Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 35th pick / 1953 |
| 66 | Don Burke | 27 | LB-G | 10 | 0 | 235 | 6-0 | USC | 2/7/1926 | 3 | San Francisco 49ers / 12th / 153rd pick / 1950 |
| 75 | Al Carapella | 26 | DT-MG-T-LB | 12 | 0 | 235 | 6-0 | Miami (FL) | 4/26/1927 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 54th pick / 1951 |
| 67 | Nick Feher | 27 | G | 10 | 0 | 224 | 6-0 | Georgia | 7/13/1926 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 10th / 112th pick / 1951 |
| 64 | Doug Hogland | 22 | G-T | 12 | 0 | 245 | 6-4 | Oregon State | 5/8/1931 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 93rd pick / 1953 |
| 53 | Bill Johnson* | 27 | C-LB | 12 | 0 | 228 | 6-3 | Texas A&M | 7/14/1926 | 5 | |
| 12 | Hal Ledyard | 22 | QB | 10 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | Tennessee-Chattanooga | 7/7/1931 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 9th / 104th pick / 1953 |
| 54 | Jack Manley | 24 | LB-C | 12 | 0 | 215 | 6-3 | Mississippi State | 9/20/1929 | Rook | |
| 46 | Clay Matthews | 25 | DE-T-DT | 9 | 0 | 219 | 6-3 | Georgia Tech | 8/1/1928 | 3 | Los Angeles Rams / 25th / 247th pick / 1949 |
| 39 | Hugh McElhenny*+ | 25 | HB | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-1 | Washington | 12/31/1928 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 9th pick / 1952 |
| 62 | Art Michalik* | 23 | MG-LB-G | 12 | 0 | 229 | 6-2 | St. Ambrose | 1/31/1930 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 17th / 198th pick / 1951 |
| 77 | Hal Miller | 23 | T | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-4 | Georgia Tech | 2/4/1930 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 57th pick / 1953 |
| 48 | Billy Mixon | 24 | HB-DB | 12 | 0 | 191 | 5-11 | Georgia | 5/24/1929 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 28th pick / 1951 |
| 49 | Jim Monachino | 24 | HB-FB-DB | 5 | 0 | 187 | 5-10 | California | 7/9/1929 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 12th / 137th pick / 1951 |
| 36 | John Morton | 24 | LB | 10 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | TCU | 9/1/1929 | Rook | |
| 73 | Leo Nomellini*+ | 29 | DT-T | 12 | 12 | 259 | 6-3 | Minnesota | 6/19/1924 | 3 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 11th pick / 1950 |
| 34 | Joe Perry*+ | 26 | FB | 12 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | Compton Community College (CA) | 1/22/1927 | 5 | |
| 87 | Charley Powell | 21 | DE-LB-E | 12 | 0 | 226 | 6-3 | none | 4/4/1932 | 1 | |
| 15 | Jim Powers | 25 | DB-LB-QB | 12 | 2 | 185 | 6-0 | USC | 2/29/1928 | 3 | San Francisco 49ers / 26th / 335th pick / 1950 |
| 44 | Pete Schabarum | 24 | HB | 10 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | California | 1/9/1929 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 17th pick / 1951 |
| 69 | Jerry Smith | 23 | G-LB | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Wisconsin | 9/9/1930 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 94th pick / 1952 |
| 82 | Gordie Soltau* | 28 | E | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-2 | Minnesota | 1/25/1925 | 3 | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 30th pick / 1950 |
| 79 | Bob St. Clair | 22 | T | 10 | 0 | 263 | 6-9 | San Francisco,Tulsa | 2/18/1931 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 32nd pick / 1953 |
| 14 | Y.A. Tittle* | 27 | QB | 11 | 10 | 192 | 6-0 | LSU | 10/24/1926 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1948 |
| 89 | Bob Van Doren | 83 | DE | 10 | 0 | 215 | 6-3 | USC | 0/0/0 | Rook | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 59th pick / 1953 |
| 42 | Lowell Wagner | 30 | B | 10 | 0 | 194 | 6-0 | USC | 8/21/1923 | 7 | |
| 84 | Billy Wilson | 26 | E-FL | 12 | 0 | 190 | 6-3 | San Jose State | 2/3/1927 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 22nd / 283rd pick / 1950 |
| Team Total | 27.0 | 12 | 209.9 | 6-1.1 | 2.0 |