SF 49ers: A Quarterback History Quiz

Answer: Frankie Albert

Frankie Albert was a quarterback that came from California and went to college at Stanford. When he was drafted, it was in the middle of World War II, so, Albert's Navy service took priority. Though the Chicago Bears selected him, Albert chose to join the PCFL's Los Angeles Bulldogs to be closer to home. After a season, he transferred to the AAFC's newly-formed 49ers and played seven seasons with them. He was the first starting quarterback for the team, and also when they joined the NFL in 1950. After he retired, Frankie Albert also coached the 49ers for three seasons.

Frankie Albert is credited with inventing the bootleg play. This is where the quarterback takes the snap and fakes a handoff to one of his backs. Now, hiding the football, the quarterback attempts to run and gain yardage using the subterfuge as a cover.

Answer: Alex Smith

The San Francisco 49ers passed on picking Aaron Rodgers to draft Alex Smith first overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. Mistake? You decide... Alex Smith was selected by new head coach Mike Nolan and the hope was that Smith would solve the quarterback problem that the Niners had in the 2004-2005 season. Nevertheless, because of an injury to Smith and Nolan's indecisiveness in choosing a quarterback, Smith only started seven games and the 49ers used four different starting quarterbacks that season.

Alex Smith gained the permanent starting position in the following season and a new offensive tool, Vernon Davis. Putting in hard work, Smith was able to finish the entire season and improve on his rookie numbers. Nevertheless, inconsistent play and recurring injuries kept him from reaching a rhythm and becoming a great quarterback. His high point with the 49ers was in the 2011-2012 season: Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh Smith was able to shine and the team made to the NFC Championship Game. However, after a 2012 concussion and the rise of a new quarterback, Alex Smith had played his last game as a 49er.

Answer: Colin Kaepernick

When Alex Smith was sidelined with a concussion in 2012, Colin Kaepernick stepped in. He had been drafted a season earlier, 36th overall in the draft, to be Smith's backup, and he had not seen playing time. However, he was known for his speed, reminding people of the quarterbacks of old that had to run in order to gain yardage. His first start happened to be on Monday Night Football, against the Bears. Kaepernick faced off against a very good defence and did very well. Even though Smith was cleared to play the next game, head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to go with Kaepernick... and continued to do so for the rest of the season. Kaepernick led the team to the Super Bowl, their first since 1995. They lost, but not without a fight.

Colin Kaepernick became the starting quarterback at that point, and Alex Smith was traded away. Kaepernick flourished under Coach Harbaugh and the team did not do too badly either, however, when Harbaugh left in 2015 and Jim Tomsula was brought in, Kaepernick's role was in question. Tomsula benched Kaepernick in Week 9 and then had season-ending surgery. The following season, Kaepernick did not immediately resume his starter role either.

In the 2016 preseason, Kaepernick was noticed sitting down during the American anthem. This gained a lot of media attention. In the final preseason game, Kaepernick knelt instead of sitting after a discussion with a veteran. His activism took the media by storm and the NFL initially pushed back. However, as the practice gained more popularity, Kaepernick was seen as a leader for the Black community and stood for his beliefs against police brutality.

Answer: Joe Montana

What can I tell you about Joe Montana that you probably don't already know? When he retired, he held most of the quarterback records in the NFL and was considered the greatest to have played that position (yes, he was the original Tom Brady). Even now, in the Brady era, Montana is still considered to be the best clutch passer in the history of the league. Many games were won by his ice cool attitude and level-headedness under fire at the end of a game.

"The Catch" will always be remembered in the NFC Championship game against the Cowboys, as well as the 92-yard game-winning drive against the Bengals two weeks later to win the Niners' first Super Bowl, XVI. He would be named the MVP of that game and would go on to establish the 49ers as the greatest franchise of the 1980s. They would win three more Super Bowls under Montana; in two of them, Joe Montana would be chosen as the MVP again.

Answer: Steve Young

Steve Young started his professional career in the USFL for the Los Angeles Express. However, after two seasons, the USFL folded and Young was selected by the Tampa Bat Buccaneers in a supplemental draft. He was considered a flop for the Bucs and was traded to the 49ers to be Joe Montana's backup in the 1987-88 season. Even though Young did not get much playing time initially, he was mentored by both Montana and Walsh and he got opportunities to shine, especially with Montana's injuries.

Steve Young got his chance in the 1991-1992 season. With Montana sidelined for the season with an elbow injury, Young stepped into the starter role. An injury to Young forced him out for several games, but, when he finally got back on the field, he was able to return to his winning ways. Despite the Niners' 10-6 record, they did not make the playoffs that season. The next season, Young started all 16 games. Montana recovered from his injury only in time for the final game of that season and played only in the second half of the game. Steve Young was named the undisputed starter when Montana was traded away.

Steve Young would go on to win the NFL MVP award twice as a 49er, in 1992 and in 1994. That latter year, he took the Niners all the way to the Super Bowl and demolished the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, setting a record for throwing seven touchdowns in that game. He was also declared Super Bowl MVP.

Answer: Steve DeBerg

Steve DeBerg was not drafted with the intention that he would be a starter. In fact, he was the 275th pick overall in the 1977 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and was then released. The 49ers then signed DeBerg to the taxi squad, however, he impressed so much that he was promoted to the main squad as the starter in 1978. Bill Walsh, the new head coach in 1979 saw even more potential in DeBerg and tailored the West Coast Offence to him. This did not improve the 49ers' record (they were 2-14 in both seasons, but this did cement how Walsh wanted to run his offence.

When Walsh drafted Joe Montana, this meant that there was a quarterback controversy. However, Steve DeBerg mentored Montana in the first few weeks and eventually stepped aside to let Montana become one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. Nevertheless, DeBerg is still considered one of the best play-action quarterbacks to have played the game.

Answer: Y. A. Tittle

Yelberton Abraham Tittle Jr. was better known as Y.A. He was the sixth overall pick of the 1948 NFL Draft, coming from LSU, by the Detroit Lions. Tittle opted to join the AAFC's Baltimore Colts instead and was the Rookie of the Year in 1948 for having an amazing breakout season. When the team joined the NFL in 1950, Tittle was their quarterback, but they fell to a 1-11 record and the team folded. The 49ers redrafted Tittle and he immediately began to vie with Frankie Albert for the starter's position.

1953 was when he took over the role fully and the Niners went 9-3, good enough for second place. The 1954 season was when the "Million Dollar Backfield" came together. Y.A. Tittle, Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson, and Joe Perry comprised this high-caliber offence; they were the first backfield where all members were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Another claim to fame for Tittle was that he was the first ever NFL player to feature on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" in their 15th issue.

Answer: John Brodie

John Brodie was selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1957 NFL Draft. Initially serving as a backup to the legendary Y.A. Tittle, Brodie gained invaluable experience and steadily developed his skills as a quarterback. When Tittle was traded to the New York Giants before the 1961 season, the 49ers entrusted Brodie with the starting role, recognizing his potential to lead the team. Throughout the 1960s, Brodie established himself as one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks, particularly excelling in 1965 when he led the league in numerous passing categories.

By the time Brodie retired after the 1973-74 season, he ranked third in career passing yardage, a testament to his consistency and skill. Transitioning from football, Brodie embarked on a career as a commentator, sharing his insights into the game. He also pursued professional golf, competing on the Senior PGA Tour from 1985 to 1998. His success in both football and golf highlights his remarkable versatility and enduring athletic talent.

Answer: Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted in 2014 by the New England Patriots to be a backup for the great Tom Brady. He was traded to the 49ers in the middle of the 2017-2018 season after not having played any games for the Patriots that season and having started only two games in three seasons for them. He joined the team and played his first snaps for the Niners against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12, coming in for an injured C.J. Beathard. The next week, Garoppolo was named the starter. He started the five remaining games for the 49ers that season and won each game, taking a 1-10 team and turning them around.

Jimmy Garoppolo signed a huge contract with the 49ers in the offseason and was intended to make the team competitive again, however, an ACL tear in Week 3 sidelined him. He returned in 2019-20 and took the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV where the team squandered a 10-point lead with seven minutes remaining to lose to the Chiefs. 2020-21 was another season where Garoppolo got injured, but, when he returned in 2021-22, the 49ers improbably made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game, though they lost to the LA Rams.

Answer: Jeff Garcia

When Jeff Garcia declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft after his junior year (1993 season) at San Jose State University, he was not selected at all because of his small size. However, the Canadians north of the border saw some potential in him and he was picked up by the Calgary Stampeders. Garcia really shone in the CFL and led the Stamps to a win in the 86th Grey Cup.

All of this success led to some NFL teams taking an interest in Jeff Garcia. Looking for a backup for Steve Young, Jeff Garcia was signed for the 1999 season. Young was hit in a game and was out with a concussion, and, all of a sudden, it was Garcia's job. It became his permanent gig until he was released after the 2003-04 season. His highlight season was in 2002-03 when he took the Niners into the playoffs on a shocking win over the Cowboys on the last day of the season, as well as a surprising wild card win over the Giants. In that game, Garci led the 49ers to overcome a 24-point deficit to win the game, making it the second-largest comeback in NFL playoff history, at that time.