Y.A. Tittle, ex-49ers quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer, dies at 90
Tittle will also be remembered as the subject of one of the most indelible photographs in sports history: a shot of the helmetless quarterback on his knees and his head trickling with blood after a vicious blow.
"That photo made me more famous than anything else,'' he joked during an interview at his longtime home in
A family spokesman said Monday that Tittle died at
"The
Tittle made seven Pro Bowls and was the first professional football player to make the cover of Sports Illustrated, gracing the 15th issue in the magazine's history, on
He was voted the
Tittle is also credited with inventing the alley-oop pass, a play later popularized in basketball. In the football version, Tittle would lob a high-arcing pass toward the end zone and 49ers receiver
"I called it the 'Alley-Oop' because at the time there was a cartoon character from the funny pages by that name,'' Tittle later explained. "People asked me what I did with the ball. I said, 'I just alley-ooped it up there.' And the name caught on."
The play was born by accident. In a preseason game against the Chicago Cardinals, Tittle tried throwing the ball away to avoid a sack but the ball fluttered into the end zone. That's where Owens soared over a cluster of defenders to make the catch.
"Man, R.C., that was unbelievable,'' Tittle said.
"I can do it every time,'' Owens replied.
The duo would go on to connect for five touchdown passes that season, three of them last-minute game-winners of the "alley-oop" variety.
He was born
Tittle took up football at an early age because he wanted to be like his older brother, Jack, who was an all-conference player at Tulane. "My idol,'' Tittle called him later in life.
Tittle starred at LSU before becoming the only player in history to be drafted in the first round on three occasions. The first two times came in 1948, when the
Tittle signed with the Browns but was transferred to the Baltimore Colts when the AAFL intervened in attempt to create league parity. After that incarnation of the Colts franchise folded up because of poor attendance, Tittle was dispersed via the draft one more time in 1951 -- which is when the 49ers pounced.
Tittle arrived just as the 49ers franchise transitioned from the bootlegging and ball-fakery of
In conversation in 2014, in what is believed to be the last extensive interview with Tittle, the quarterback reminisced about what it was like playing alongside Perry, McElhenny and Johnson. It remains the only full-house backfield in which all four members are enshrined in the
"
The 49ers traded Tittle to the Giants in 1961 to make room for promising young passer
Tittle went on to play four seasons with the
Tittle is one of two players in
Tittle ranks among the best quarterbacks never to win to a championship. In fact, he is the only Hall of Famer never to win a playoff game as a starter.
His heartbreaks include the 1957 NFC division playoff game. The 49ers led 24-7 at halftime and looked poised to face the
"I'm still trying to forget that game,'' he said, decades later. "But I was the one calling the plays, and I take full responsibility for booting it away."
Tittle's career came to a close in 1964, not long after the savage blow that yielded the iconic photograph. The 38-year-old quarterback was hit by
Tittle wound up with a cracked sternum and a concussion. Photographer
It eventually became one of only three photos hanging in the lobby of the
Reflecting on Berman's photo for
Tittle went on to a prosperous life, thanks to an insurance business he began during his playing days. It became his own company, Y.A Tittle Insurance & Financial Services.
He also remained a popular public speaker for years after his playing days. His daughter,
"For so many years, Dad has been on a first-name basis with the world. He's never 'Mr. Tittle' it's, 'Hey, Y.A.!' she said in 2014. "There's a feeling that he's a part of their lives, and they're a part of his life, and it's been that way for a very, very long time. ... I've just been amazed at the way memories gather, people really do celebrate the moments that dad gave them."
Tittle is survived by his brother,
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