RIP John Brodie, one of the greatest Bay Area athletes ever

 The story goes that John Brodie, having finished one of his frequent rounds of golf, was about to sit down for lunch at Menlo Country Club, when someone shouted to him that the NFL and AFL had just signed a merger agreement.

Brodie, who reportedly signed with the AFL Houston Oilers, then said to his dining companions, “Somebody owes me $500,000.”

This was 1966, and that was a lot of money then. Maybe it still is a lot of money, if not into the seven-figure amounts tossed around pro football these days.

So Brodie never joined the Oilers and remained with the San Francisco 49ers for his entire career, where he won a lot of games and heard a lot of booing.

Brodie, who died Friday at age 90, was one of the greatest athletes ever to play in the Bay Area, having done virtually everything asked of him from Oakland Tech High School through Stanford to the Niners. Except winning a pro football championship. Not, as wise people understand, could be blamed entirely on Brodie, even if he was the quarterback.

That John spent the last two decades of his life battling to overcome the results of a stroke that affected his speech was a cruel bit of fate for a man who was so talented and outgoing, someone who could throw a spiral pass or hit a tee shot with equal effectiveness.

If you care about records, Brodie has them. He played in 201 games with the 49ers, second-most in franchise history behind receiver Jerry Rice, and he ranks No. 2 in all-time franchise passing yards behind—who else? Joe Montana. 

In high school, Brodie starred not only in football but in basketball and baseball. He wasn’t bad at tennis either, although later on it was golf that captured his competitive urge.  

In fact, while still with the Niners, he briefly tried the pro golf tour. Then, after regaining his amateur status, he returned as a professional to the Champions Tour, as the senior tournaments are called, and won an event in Southern California.

Those who play quarterback are particularly vulnerable, the object of the fans’ frustration and derision—and in his seasons with the Niners, there was plenty. And yet he not only handled the tough times but led the Niners to three consecutive playoff appearances from 1970 to 1972.

What I remember about John was his struggle to speak after the stroke in 2000. Accompanied by his wonderful wife, Sue, John would go along for a few words, then, after a gap, grumble an expletive.

That was allowed and even appreciated. 

There was so much to appreciate about John Brodie, who was adept at so many games, including the game of life.