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1952 San Francisco 49ers season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = San Francisco 49ers

| year = 1952

| record = 7–5

| division_place = 3rd NFL National

| owner=Tony Morabito

| general manager= Louis Spadia

| coach = Buck Shaw

| stadium = Kezar Stadium

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| shortnavlink = 49ers seasons

| pro bowlers = {{Collapsible list

| title = 7

|1 = RB Hugh McElhenny

|2 = RB Joe Perry

|3 = WR Gordy Soltau

|4 = C Bill Johnson

|5 = DE Ed Henke

|6 = DT Leo Nomellini

|7 = LB Hardy Brown

}}

}}

The 1952 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 3rd season in the National Football League and their 7th overall. They were coming off a 7–4–1 record in 1951.

The 49ers won their first five games by at least two touchdowns and had visions of playing in their first-ever NFL Championship Game. However, they lost five of their final seven games to finish at 7–5, third place in the six-team National Conference (which became the Western Conference in {{nfly|1953}}).

Y. A. Tittle emerged as the starting quarterback, as he had a completion rate of 51.0% along with eleven touchdowns and 1,407 yards. Frankie Albert also had some action, completing 55.0% of his passes, along with eight TDs and 964 yards.

Joe Perry ran for 725 yards and eight TDs, while rookie Hugh McElhenny had 684 yards on 98 attempts (7.0 yards/carry), along with six rushing TDs, while he caught 26 passes for 367 yards and earned another three touchdowns. Gordie Soltau led the club with 55 receptions for 774 yards and seven TDs.

Offseason

=NFL Draft=

{{see also|1952 NFL draft}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable sortable"
style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Roundstyle="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Pickstyle="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Playerstyle="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Positionstyle="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | College
align=center | 1align=center | 9bgcolor="#FFCC00" | Hugh McElhennyNFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN|0-7611-2480-2}}, p. 398HalfbackWashington
align=center | 2align=center | 22Bob ToneffOffensiveTackleNotre Dame
align=center | 3align=center | 27Gene ShannonHalfbackHouston
align=center | 3align=center | 33Billy TidwellHalfbackTexas A&M
align=center | 4align=center | 46Marion CampbellOffensive tackleGeorgia
align=center | 5align=center | 57Pat O'DonahueEndWisconsin
align=center | 6align=center | 70Jim BeasleyCenterTulsa
align=center | 7align=center | 81Don RobisonHalfbackCalifornia
align=center | 8align=center | 94Jerry SmithOffensive tackleWisconsin
align=center | 9align=center | 105Glen ChristianHalfbackIdaho
align=center | 10align=center | 118Carl WestFullbackMississippi
align=center | 11align=center | 129J. D. KimmelOffensive tackleHouston/Army
align=center | 12align=center | 142Fred SnyderEndLoyola
align=center | 13align=center | 153Rudy YeagerOffensive tackleLSU
align=center | 14align=center | 166Frank SimonsEndNebraska

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable sortable"
style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Round

! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Pick

! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Player

! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | Position

! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#C8102E;" | College

align=center | 15align=center | 177Haldo NormanEndGustavus Adolphus
align=center | 16align=center | 190Bob MeyersHalfbackStanford
align=center | 17align=center | 201Al BaldockEndUSC
align=center | 18align=center | 214Bill CareyEndMichigan State
align=center | 20align=center | 238Jess YatesEndLSU
align=center | 21align=center | 249Gene OffieldEndHardin–Simmons
align=center | 22align=center | 262Jim CozadOffensive tackleSanta Clara
align=center | 23align=center | 273Bill GlazierEndArizona
align=center | 24align=center | 286Ralph KreugerTackleCalifornia
align=center | 25align=center | 297Henry (Bud) LaughlinFullbackKansas
align=center | 26align=center | 310Dick KaneGuardCincinnati
align=center | 27align=center | 321Waldo SchaafOffensive tackleOklahoma A&M
align=center | 28align=center | 334Joe PalumboGuardVirginia
align=center | 29align=center | 345Chuck MosherEndColorado
align=center | 30align=center | 358Dick PatrickCenterOregon

{{col-end}}

Preseason

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| August 10

| San Francisco Broncos

| W 79–0

| 1–0

| Kezar Stadium

| 8,700

style="background:#cfc"

! 2

| August 17

| Washington Redskins

| W 35–0

| 2–0

| Kezar Stadium

| 35,234

style="background:#cfc"

! 3

| August 24

| Chicago Cardinals

| W 38–14

| 3–0

| Kezar Stadium

| 34,901

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| {{dow tooltip|September 3, 1952}}

| at Los Angeles Rams

| W 17–7

| 4–0

| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| 67,799

style="background:#cfc"

! 5

| September 7

| at Pittsburgh Steelers

| W 29–14

| 5–0

| Forbes Field

| 21,759

style="background:#cfc"

! 6

| {{dow tooltip|September 13, 1952}}

| at Cleveland Browns

| W 35–31

| 6–0

| Rubber Bowl

| 30,119

style="background:#cfc"

! 7

| {{dow tooltip|September 19, 1952}}

| at San Jose Packers

| W 76–0

| 7–0

| Spartan Stadium

| 6,839

{{cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1952nflsf.html|title=1952 San Francisco 49ers (NFL)|publisher=Pro Football Archives|access-date=December 19, 2023}}

Regular season

=Schedule=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Attendance

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"| Recap

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| September 28

| Detroit Lions

| W 17–3

| 1–0

| Kezar Stadium

| 52,750

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195209280sfo.htm Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 2

| October 4

| at Dallas Texans

| W 37–14

| 2–0

| Cotton Bowl

| 12,566

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195210050dtx.htm Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 3

| October 12

| at Detroit Lions

| W 28–0

| 3–0

| Briggs Stadium

| 42,842

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195210120det.htm Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| October 19

| at Chicago Bears

| W 40–16

| 4–0

| Wrigley Field

| 46,338

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195210190chi.htm Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 5

| October 26

| Dallas Texans

| W 48–21

| 5–0

| Kezar Stadium

| 26,887

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195210260sfo.htm Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 6

| November 2

| Chicago Bears

| L 17–20

| 5–1

| Kezar Stadium

| 58,255

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195211020sfo.htm Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 7

| November 9

| at New York Giants

| L 14–23

| 5–2

| Polo Grounds

| 54,230

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195211090nyg.htm Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 8

| November 16

| at Washington Redskins

| W 23–17

| 6–2

| Griffith Stadium

| 30,863

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195211160was.htm Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 9

| November 23

| at Los Angeles Rams

| L 9–35

| 6–3

| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| 64,450

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195211230ram.htm Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 10

| November 30

| Los Angeles Rams

| L 21–34

| 6–4

| Kezar Stadium

| 49,420

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195211300sfo.htm Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 11

| December 7

| Pittsburgh Steelers

| L 7–24

| 6–5

| Kezar Stadium

| 13,886

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195212070sfo.htm Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 12

| December 14

| Green Bay Packers

| W 24–14

| 7–5

| Kezar Stadium

| 17,579

| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/195212140sfo.htm Recap]

style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|San Francisco 49ers|year=1952|border=2}}"

|colspan="8"| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

=Standings=

{{1952 NFL National standings}}

Pro Bowl

San Francisco's players selected for the Pro Bowl:

class="wikitable"
align="center"

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="21.0%" | Player

! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="21.0%" | Position

Hardy BrownLinebacker
Ed HenkeDefensive end
Bill JohnsonCenter
Hugh McElhennyRunning back
Leo NomelliniDefensive tackle
Joe PerryRunning back
Gordie SoltauWide receiver

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sfo/1952.htm 1952 49ers on Pro Football Reference]
  • [http://www.shrpsports.com SHRP Sports]

{{San Francisco 49ers}}

{{San Francisco 49ers seasons}}

{{1952 NFL season by team}}

San Francisco 49ers

Category:San Francisco 49ers seasons

San Francisco 49ers

{{Americanfootball-season-stub}}