Sports and Torts: Hall of Famer Bob St.Clair

Sports and Torts: Hall of Famer Ron Yary

Bob St. Clair

Robert Bruce St. Clair, nicknamed "The Geek" (born February 18, 1931) is a former San Francisco American football player known for fine play and eating raw beef. Because of his eccentricities, his teammates nicknamed him "The Geek".
St. Clair holds the distinction of being one of the few players in history to have spent almost his entire playing career in the same city, playing in the same stadium. Bob St. Clair attended San Francisco's Polytechnic High School (located across the street from the stadium) and the University of San Francisco, and was part of USF's undefeated 1951 team. After USF dropped football, St. Clair finished his college career at the University of Tulsa. He was then drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1953 and played his entire professional career in San Francisco until his retirement prior to the 1964 season.
In 2001, as a tribute for playing a total of 17 seasons and 189 home games at Kezar Stadium, the city of San Francisco renamed the stadium's field in honor of St. Clair. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
St. Clair also served as mayor of Daly City, California from 1958 to 1961 (while still an active player) and a county supervisor for San Mateo County from 1966 to 1974. For many years he owned a liquor store at 24th and Sanchez in Noe Valley, which still bears his name

Bob\'s Page at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Ron Yary

Yary was the first overall pick of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, who had traded Fran Tarkenton to the New York Giants for that selection, becoming the first offensive lineman ever to be selected first overall. He played from 1968 to 1981 with the Minnesota Vikings, and 1982 with the Los Angeles Rams. During Yary's tenure with the Vikings, the team won 11 division titles. During that period, Minnesota won the 1969 NFL championship and NFC titles in 1973, 1974 and 1976, and played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI where Yary was one of 10 Players to have played in all four games for the Vikings. Yary was named All-Pro 6 consecutive seasons (1971–76) and 2nd Team All-Pro in 1970 and 1977 and was an All-NFC choice from 1970 through 1977. He played in seven consecutive Pro Bowls, and was a major force in a Minnesota team that was highly successful throughout the 1970s. In addition to his All-pro honors, Yary was voted the NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times (1973–75) by the NFLPA.
Yary won the starting right tackle job (military duty forced him to miss first three games) on the Vikings offensive line in his second season and remained as a fixture at that spot throughout his Minnesota tenure. He was voted to the 1970s All-Decade First Team after the 1979 season.
Yary was also durable and played in spite of injuries. He missed only two games due to injuries—both coming in 1980 with a broken ankle—in 14 years in Minnesota. Later that same year, he continued to play in spite of a broken foot. He was inducted to the Vikings Ring of Honor in 2000. He became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. It would be 29 years before another offensive lineman would be drafted first overall. Which was Orlando Pace, picked by the Rams in 1997.

Ron\'s Page at the Pro Football Hall of Fame