5 49ers that deserve stronger Hall of Fame consideration

3. DB/KR Abe Woodson

A little history lesson. The All-America Football Conference was a league that lasted four years and was dominated by the Cleveland Browns. That franchise won all four titles during the AAFC’s brief existence. In 1950, the Browns, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts, joined the National Football League in 1950.

During the latter stages of the team’s first decade in the NFL, the 49ers featured a versatile performer from the University of Illinois named Abe Woodson. There were only 12 teams in the league in 1958 and while Woodson was a second-round pick, he was the 15th overall selection that year. He would excel on special teams, especially on kickoff returns.

Along with current Falcons’ standout Cordarrelle Patterson, they are the only two players in NFL annals to lead the league in kickoff return average on three occasions. He also led the National Football League in punt return average (13.4) in 1960.

Woodson spent the first seven seasons of his career with San Francisco. He took back a total of seven kicks (5 kickoffs, 2 punts) for scores with the team. He was named to five straight Pro Bowls from 1959-63 and earned All-Pro honors in 1959 and ’60.

The big-play performer was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965 and finished his nine-year NFL career with 19 interceptions.