Bob St. Clair

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bob St. Clair
refer to caption
St. Clair in June 2009
No. 79
Position:Tackle
Personal information
Born:(1931-02-18)February 18, 1931
San Francisco, California
Died:April 20, 2015(2015-04-20) (aged 84)
Santa Rosa, California
Height:6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Weight:263 lb (119 kg)
Career information
High school:San Francisco (CA) Poly
College:Tulsa
NFL Draft:1953 / Round: 3 / Pick: 32
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • 5× Pro Bowl (1956, 1958–1961)
  • 5× First-team All-Pro (1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1961)
  • 4× Second-team All-Pro (1953, 1954, 1962, 1963)
  • NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
  • San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame
  • San Francisco 49ers No. 79 retired
Career NFL statistics
Games played:119
Fumbles recovered:7
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Robert Bruce St. Clair (February 18, 1931 – April 20, 2015) was a professional American football player. Because of his eccentricities, his teammates nicknamed him "The Geek".[1][2]

St. Clair may be the only player in NFL history to have spent nearly all of his entire playing career in the same city, playing in the same stadium at all levels. St. Clair attended San Francisco's Polytechnic High School (located across the street from the stadium) and the University of San Francisco, and was part of USF's undefeated 1951 team. After USF dropped football, St. Clair finished his college career at the University of Tulsa. He was then drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1953 and played his entire professional career in San Francisco until his retirement prior to the 1964 season. Per NFL Hall of Fame archives, St. Clair is credited with blocking 10 field goals in 1956.

In 2001, as a tribute for playing a total of 17 seasons and 189 home games at Kezar Stadium, the city of San Francisco renamed the stadium's field in honor of St. Clair. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.

While still an active player, St. Clair was elected to Daly City's city council in 1958,[3][4] which included a term as mayor from 1961 to 1962;[5] one of his mayoral and council colleagues was his high school coach Joe Verducci.[6] He was the county supervisor for San Mateo County from 1966 to 1974. For many years he owned a liquor store at 24th and Sanchez in Noe Valley, which still bears his name. The store is at 3900 24th Street.[1]

During St. Clair's tenure as mayor, the Philadelphia Warriors of the National Basketball Association moved to the Cow Palace in Daly City and became the San Francisco Warriors. The team moved to the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1971 and took its current name, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors won games 2 and 3 of the 1975 NBA World Championship Series at the Cow Palace en route to a four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets.

St. Clair broke his hip in February 2015; complications led to his death in Santa Rosa, California on April 20, 2015 at the age of 84.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Graham Kislingbury, "Bob St. Clair: The King of Kezar", Corvallis Gazette-Times, February 6, 2010.
  2. ^ "Bob St. Clair, Hall of Fame 49ers lineman, dies at 84", San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 2015.
  3. ^ "For 49ers' St. Clair, Football And Politics Add Up to Success". The Miami Herald. AP. August 7, 1958. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "St. Clair Elected Daly City Official". Oakland Tribune. AP. April 10, 1958. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Daly City Elects Bob St. Clair Mayor". The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus. AP. April 22, 1961. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "49er Tackle St. Clair Seeks Council Post". The Sacramento Bee. AP. February 11, 1958. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Steve Chawkins, "Bob St. Clair dies at 84, Hall of Fame offensive lineman for 49ers", Los Angeles Times, September 21, 2015.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""