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1956 San Francisco 49ers
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Record: 5-6-1, Finished 3rd in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 233 points (19.4/g), 8th of 12 in the NFL.
Allowed 284 points (23.7/g), 9th.
Differential of -51 points (-4.2/g), 9th.
Expected W-L: 4.6-7.4.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +3 (0.2/g), 6th.
Coached by Frankie Albert (5-6-1)
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1956 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 | 30 | 8 | 8 | 124 for 218, 1,641 yards, 7 td, 12 int, & 24 rushes for 67 yards and 4 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1948 |
| FB | Joe Perry | 29 | 8 | 0 | 115 rushes for 520 yards, 3 td, & 18 catches for 104 yards and 0 td | |
| FB | John Henry Johnson | 27 | 2 | 0 | 80 rushes for 301 yards, 2 td, & 8 catches for 90 yards and 0 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 18th pick / 1953 |
| LH | Hugh McElhenny* | 28 | 4 | 0 | 185 rushes for 916 yards, 8 td, & 16 catches for 193 yards and 0 td | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 9th pick / 1952 |
| RH | Joe Arenas | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 rushes for 0 yards, 0 td, & 14 catches for 226 yards and 1 td | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 89th pick / 1951 |
| LE | Gordie Soltau | 31 | 6 | 0 | 18 catches for 299 yards, 1 td | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 30th pick / 1950 |
| LE | Clyde Conner | 23 | Rook | 0 | 22 catches for 362 yards, 1 td | |
| LT | Bobby Cross | 25 | 4 | 0 | Chicago Bears / 9th / 104th pick / 1952 |
|
| LG | Bob Toneff | 26 | 4 | 0 | San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1952 |
|
| C | Bill Johnson | 30 | 8 | 0 | ||
| RG | Ed Henke | 29 | 7 | 0 | Washington Redskins / 13th / 128th pick / 1949 |
|
| RT | Bob St. Clair* | 25 | 3 | 0 | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 32nd pick / 1953 |
|
| RE | Billy Wilson* | 29 | 5 | 0 | 60 catches for 889 yards, 5 td | San Francisco 49ers / 22nd / 283rd pick / 1950 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Bruce Bosley | 23 | Rook | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 15th pick / 1956 |
| LDT | Leo Nomellini* | 32 | 6 | 12 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 11th pick / 1950 |
| MG | John Gonzaga | 23 | Rook | 0 | ||
| RDT | Bill Herchman | 23 | Rook | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 26th pick / 1956 |
| RDE | Charley Powell | 24 | 4 | 0 | ||
| LLB | Stan Sheriff | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Los Angeles Rams / 18th / 214th pick / 1954 |
| LLB | Ed Sharkey | 29 | 9 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | |
| RLB | Matt Hazeltine | 23 | 1 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 45th pick / 1955 |
| LDH | George Maderos | 23 | 1 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 21st / 250th pick / 1955 |
| RDH | Paul Carr | 25 | 1 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 7th / 82nd pick / 1953 |
| LS | Bob Holladay | 24 | Rook | 0 | 1 interception, 4 fumbles recovered | |
| RS | Dicky Moegle | 22 | 1 | 0 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 10th pick / 1955 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Gordie Soltau | 31 | 6 | 0 | 13 of 20 field goals & 26 of 28 extra points | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 30th pick / 1950 |
| P | Earl Morrall | 22 | Rook | 4 | 45 punts for a 37.9 average, 0 blocked | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1956 |
| PR | Joe Arenas | 31 | 5 | 0 | 19 punt returns for a 6.2 average and 1 td | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 89th pick / 1951 |
| KR | Joe Arenas | 31 | 5 | 0 | 27 kick returns for a 29.7 average and 1 td | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 89th pick / 1951 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Arenas | 31 | HB-DB | 12 | 0 | 180 | 5-11 | Nebraska-Omaha | 12/12/1925 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 89th pick / 1951 |
| Ed Beatty | 24 | C-LB | 12 | 0 | 229 | 6-3 | Mississippi | 4/6/1932 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 10th pick / 1954 |
| Rex Berry | 32 | DB-HB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | BYU | 9/9/1924 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers / 14th / 162nd pick / 1951 |
| Bruce Bosley | 23 | C-G-DE | 12 | 0 | 241 | 6-2 | West Virginia | 11/5/1933 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 15th pick / 1956 |
| Fred Bruney | 25 | DB | 5 | 0 | 184 | 5-10 | Ohio State | 12/30/1931 | 3 | Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 35th pick / 1953 |
| Paul Carr | 25 | DB-LB | 12 | 0 | 205 | 6-0 | Houston | 9/4/1931 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers / 7th / 82nd pick / 1953 |
| Clyde Conner | 23 | E | 12 | 0 | 193 | 6-2 | Pacific | 5/18/1933 | Rook | |
| Ted Connolly | 25 | G | 5 | 0 | 240 | 6-3 | Santa Clara,Tulsa | 12/5/1931 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 9th / 107th pick / 1954 |
| Bobby Cross | 25 | T-DT | 12 | 0 | 240 | 6-4 | Stephen F. Austin | 4/4/1931 | 4 | Chicago Bears / 9th / 104th pick / 1952 |
| Paul Goad | 22 | FB | 4 | 0 | 195 | 6-0 | Abilene Christian,Vanderbilt | 9/7/1934 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 25th / 291st pick / 1956 |
| John Gonzaga | 23 | T-G-DE-DT | 9 | 0 | 247 | 6-3 | none | 3/6/1933 | Rook | |
| Matt Hazeltine | 23 | LB | 12 | 0 | 220 | 6-1 | California | 8/2/1933 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 45th pick / 1955 |
| Ed Henke | 29 | DE-LB-G | 12 | 0 | 227 | 6-3 | USC | 12/13/1927 | 7 | Washington Redskins / 13th / 128th pick / 1949 |
| Bill Herchman | 23 | DT | 12 | 0 | 246 | 6-2 | Texas Tech | 3/10/1933 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 26th pick / 1956 |
| Bob Holladay | 24 | DB | 7 | 0 | 175 | 5-11 | Tulsa | 3/13/1932 | Rook | |
| Bill Jessup | 27 | E-FL | 3 | 0 | 195 | 6-1 | USC | 3/17/1929 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 126th pick / 1951 |
| Bill Johnson | 30 | C-LB | 7 | 0 | 228 | 6-3 | Texas A&M | 7/14/1926 | 8 | |
| John Henry Johnson | 27 | FB-HB | 12 | 0 | 210 | 6-2 | Arizona State,St. Mary's (CA) | 11/24/1929 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 2nd / 18th pick / 1953 |
| George Maderos | 23 | DB | 12 | 0 | 187 | 6-1 | Cal State-Chico | 11/3/1933 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers / 21st / 250th pick / 1955 |
| Tom McCormick | 26 | HB | 6 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Pacific | 5/16/1930 | 3 | Los Angeles Rams / 8th / 97th pick / 1952 |
| Hugh McElhenny* | 28 | HB | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-1 | Washington | 12/31/1928 | 4 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 9th pick / 1952 |
| Dicky Moegle | 22 | DB-HB-FB | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-0 | Rice | 9/14/1934 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 10th pick / 1955 |
| Earl Morrall | 22 | QB | 12 | 4 | 205 | 6-1 | Michigan State | 5/17/1934 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1956 |
| George Morris | 25 | C-LB | 12 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | Georgia Tech | 3/19/1931 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 21st pick / 1953 |
| Leo Nomellini* | 32 | DT-T | 12 | 12 | 259 | 6-3 | Minnesota | 6/19/1924 | 6 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 11th pick / 1950 |
| Lou Palatella | 23 | G-LB | 10 | 0 | 230 | 6-2 | Pittsburgh | 7/28/1933 | 1 | San Francisco 49ers / 12th / 141st pick / 1955 |
| Joe Perry | 29 | FB | 11 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | Compton Community College (CA) | 1/22/1927 | 8 | |
| Charley Powell | 24 | DE-LB-E | 12 | 0 | 226 | 6-3 | none | 4/4/1932 | 4 | |
| Leo Rucka | 25 | LB | 5 | 0 | 212 | 6-3 | Rice | 8/18/1931 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1954 |
| Floyd Sagely | 24 | DB-E | 3 | 0 | 191 | 6-1 | Arkansas | 3/26/1932 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers / 6th / 71st pick / 1954 |
| Tony Sardisco | 24 | G-DE-LB | 3 | 0 | 226 | 6-2 | Tulane | 12/5/1932 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 6th / 64th pick / 1956 |
| Ed Sharkey | 29 | LB-G-T-DG | 7 | 0 | 229 | 6-3 | Duke,Nevada-Reno | 7/6/1927 | 9 | |
| Stan Sheriff | 24 | LB-G-C | 7 | 0 | 224 | 6-1 | Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo | 4/24/1932 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 18th / 214th pick / 1954 |
| Charlie Smith | 23 | DE | 12 | 0 | 205 | 6-2 | Abilene Christian | 4/6/1933 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 88th pick / 1956 |
| Ernie Smith | 26 | DB-HB | 3 | 0 | 190 | 6-3 | Compton Community College (CA),San Diego City Coll | 7/6/1930 | 1 | |
| J.D. Smith | 24 | FB-HB-DB | 5 | 0 | 205 | 6-1 | North Carolina A&T | 7/19/1932 | Rook | Chicago Bears / 15th / 179th pick / 1955 |
| Jerry Smith | 26 | G-LB | 2 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Wisconsin | 9/9/1930 | 4 | San Francisco 49ers / 8th / 94th pick / 1952 |
| Gordie Soltau | 31 | E | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-2 | Minnesota | 1/25/1925 | 6 | Green Bay Packers / 3rd / 30th pick / 1950 |
| Bob St. Clair* | 25 | T | 12 | 0 | 263 | 6-9 | San Francisco,Tulsa | 2/18/1931 | 3 | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 32nd pick / 1953 |
| Y.A. Tittle | 30 | QB | 10 | 8 | 192 | 6-0 | LSU | 10/24/1926 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1948 |
| Bob Toneff | 26 | DT-DE-T-LB-G | 12 | 0 | 260 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 6/23/1930 | 4 | San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1952 |
| Billy Wilson* | 29 | E-FL | 12 | 0 | 190 | 6-3 | San Jose State | 2/3/1927 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers / 22nd / 283rd pick / 1950 |
| Team Total | 25.7 | 12 | 213.3 | 6-1.6 | 2.8 |