Legendary 49ers quarterback John Brodie, the 1970 NFL Most Valuable Player, died on Friday morning. He was 90. “The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” San Francisco co-chairman Dr. John York said in a statement sh ared Friday. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment towards his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days. John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.” Brodie played his entire 17-year NFL career with the 49ers after being the No. 3 overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft out of Stanford. He played in 201 games with the 49ers, second-most in franchise history behind only Jerry Rice. Brodie ranks No. 2 in all-time franchise passing yards (31,548) behind only Joe Montana (35,124). Brodie (214), Montana (244) and Steve Young (221) are the only quarterbacks in 49ers history with 200 or more passing touchdowns. He was known for having a strong throwing arm but also great touch on his passes to connect on throws at every level, including intermediate passes that had to be layered over a linebacker and in front of a safety. The 49ers retired Brodie’s No. 12 in 1973 after leading the NFL in touchdown passes three times in his career. He was a two-time Pro Bowl player and led the 49ers to consecutive playoff appearances in 1970, ’71 and ’72. Many longtime supporters of the 49ers who watched Brodie’s remarkable career believe he is more than deserving of a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 49ers did not win any league championships when Brodie played, but he had an indirect role in the organization’s future success. The late Bill Walsh said Brodie would often stop by the Stanford football offices when Walsh was head coach there before he became coach of the 49ers in 1979. “He would take time to sit and talk football with me,” Walsh said of Brodie. “I learned a lot of the mechanics, the footwork and techniques of the quarterback position from John. “Later, we were able to transfer those to many other quarterbacks. But I didn’t have a clue about the position until I talked to John over a period of time.” After his football was over, Brodie earned a spot in the Senior PGA Tour and recorded 12 top-10 finishes with one victory in 14 years. “John is like Joe Montana or people like that who have natural instincts,” Walsh said. “That’s why he was so great of an athlete in all the sports. He had natural competitive instincts. It’s some inner sense they have that they compete.” Brodie was also an NFL analyst for NBC Sports for 11 years. His life changed on Oct. 23, 2000. Brodie suffered a stroke while watching the memorable Jets-Dolphins game on Monday Night Football. It was a remarkable feat that he survived and lived another quarter-century. “First of all, he shouldn’t have survived,” his wife, Sue, said in the 2005 book, San Francisco 49ers: Where Have You Gone? “It was a massive, massive stroke. . . . A lot of people who have strokes can’t even walk because they don’t have the natural gifts he has.” ...read more read less