Bob St. Clair

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

St. Clair was drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 1953 NFL draft and played his entire 11-year professional career in San Francisco. He began his career by successfully holding out for a $6,000 rookie salary. In his first preseason, he earned his spot on the 1953 team by holding his own against defensive tackle Leo Nomellini in practice. Primarily an offensive tackle, he played alongside the Million Dollar Backfield, whose halfback Hugh McElhenny considered him a dominant blocker. He started every game for the 49ers from 1954 to 1956, when he also received his first Pro Bowl selection. Due to his size, St. Clair was also an effective special teams player. He blocked 19 field goals over the course of his career, ten of which came in 1956, and was instrumental in Abe Woodson's 105-yard kick return touchdown in 1959. His only postseason game came in 1957. After missing eight weeks with a shoulder injury early in the season, St. Clair returned as the 49ers ended the season with an 8–4 record, tying the Detroit Lions to force a one-game playoff, which Detroit won in a 31–27 comeback victory. St. Clair once again started at least ten games in each of the 1958–1961 seasons, receiving Pro Bowl honors each year. He missed time due to an Achilles injury in 1962, but returned to play the entire 1963 season, for which he received the 49ers' Len Eshmont Award. During the 1964 preseason, he injured his other Achilles tendon during punt return practice, requiring career-ending surgery. A perennial team captain, St. Clair was nicknamed "the Geek" by his teammates due to his eccentric off-the-field behavior, including a habit of eating raw meat, which he frequently used to intimidate 49ers rookies. St. Clair was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. On January 19, 2001, the city of San Francisco renamed the field at Kezar Stadium in his honor in recognition of his having played all his high school and professional home games and three-quarters of his college home games there, and his number was retired by the 49ers later that year.

In Their Own Story

The fog rolled off the bay and settled over Kezar Stadium, a cold November afternoon in 1956. The crowd roared as Y.A. Tittle dropped back, scanning the field. On the left side, Bob St. Clair stood like a redwood tree, his massive frame absorbing the rush of a charging defensive end. With a subtle shift of his weight and a block that sent the defender sprawling into the mud, St. Clair cleared a path. He didn't celebrate; he simply reset his stance, eyes locked on the next threat. In the huddle later, Tittle clapped him on the helmet. "Good man," the quarterback said. St. Clair just grinned, wiping sweat and dirt from his face, knowing that while the stars got the headlines, the line won the games.

Reader's Guide

Bob St. Clair’s tenure with the San Francisco 49ers spanned from 1953 to 1963, a decade that forged the franchise’s early identity in the NFL. Arriving as the team's third-round draft pick out of USF and Tulsa, he immediately became the cornerstone of an offensive line that helped the 49ers to an 8–4 record and a playoff appearance in 1957. His playing style was revolutionary for its time. In an era where linemen were generally smaller and less athletic, St. Clair brought a rare blend of massive size—6 ft 9 in—and surprising footwork. He utilized his length to keep defenders at bay and his agility to pull on running plays, effectively functioning as an extra blocker in the backfield. This versatility allowed the 49ers to run a dynamic, up-tempo offense that confused defenses across the league. St. Clair's greatest achievements include nine All-Pro honors and enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was instrumental in blocking 19 field goals over his career, ten of which came in 1956, and in Abe Woodson's 105-yard kick return touchdown in 1959. He received the 49ers' Len Eshmont Award for the 1963 season.

Did You Know?

• St. Clair blocked 19 field goals over his career, including ten in the 1956 season alone.
• He was elected to the Daly City city council in 1958 while still an active player, and served as mayor from 1961 to 1962.
• St. Clair was nicknamed 'the Geek' by teammates for eccentric behavior like eating raw meat to intimidate rookies.
• The field at Kezar Stadium was renamed in his honor on January 19, 2001, because he played all his high school and professional home games there.
• He was part of USF's undefeated 1951 team that refused to play in the Orange Bowl due to racial discrimination against black players Ollie Matson and Burl Toler.