Like a parade of cars driving by someone’s house to honk birthday wishes amid quarantine, Joe Staley’s retirement drew quite a reception line Tuesday, as ex-teammates tooted his horn from Zoom rooms to other outlets.
For linebacker Patrick Willis, he recalled meeting Staley at San Francisco International airport on April 29, 2007, a day after the 49ers drafted them in the first round. Like the draft in which Willis (No. 11 overall) preceded Staley (No. 28), Willis’ plane landed first, and then came his favorite memory of their pairing.
“He wasn’t too far behind me coming up the escalator at SFO, I remember turning around, seeing him and I thought to myself, ‘Man, they made sure they got a guy who’s big enough I could go against in practice,’ “ Willis recalled on a video conference with reporters. “Just seeing his presence, you could tell right there he was about business.”
Willis preceded Staley in retirement by five years. His advice: “Be patient and enjoy his time away now.”
San Francisco 49ers’ Joe Staley (74) celebrates after his team won the NFC Championship game versus the Green Bay Packers 37-20 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020. (Randy Vazquez / Bay Area News Group)
Five years after he shut down his decorated career because of foot and health issues, Willis said retiring is not easy to do, adding, “I’m still trying to wrap the process around and take it in. I’d tell him to be patient and enjoy his time away now.”
Willis especially enjoyed Staley’s ability to take their craft seriously but stay loose. One instance where that came to fruition was Staley’s epic, down-field block that sprung quarterback Alex Smith for a touchdown run in the 2011 team’s playoff win over New Orleans.
“That was one of the biggest games of my career playing with Joe, and to see him throw that block, I remember thinking to myself, ‘They’re going to throw a flag,’ because I felt we were the one who always got the flag,” Willis recalled. “Low and behold, it was a perfect block and Alex scored. I was so excited for multiple reason. For one, it was Joe leading the way, then, two, we were winning the game and going to the NFC championship.
“You got to have those kind of plays to be remembered. He most definitely is going to have his time with memories.”
Willis said he got chills recalling the 49ers’ 2007 draft class, which included defensive end Ray McDonald and safety Dashon Goldson.
By the way, that first-round pick the 49ers used on Staley came from a draft-day trade with the New England Patriots. In return, the Patriots received a 2007 fourth-round pick they flipped the next day in a trade for Randy Moss from the Raiders, and, in 2008, the Patriots parlayed the 49ers’ first-round pick to trade down three spots and select linebacker Jerod Mayo at No. 10 overall.
Like Willis, Staley served as a captain. How do teams overcome the loss of such leadership?
“B.Y. (Bryant Young) was the guy for me, though we only played one year together,” Willis recalled. “I remember how the defense looked up to him and the presence amongst us. I thought to myself, ‘How does this work now?’ … Someone will take the helm and lead the way and keep it going.”
Here are other former teammates’ reactions to Staley’s retirement, which was announced Sunday after 13 seasons:
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Jim Harbaugh
The 49ers’ coach from 2011-14 and Michigan’s since 2005, Harbaugh hit the 95.7-FM The Game’s airwaves Tuesday morning and lauded Staley as more than just a consummate pro and leader. He credited Staley’s humility, competitive edge, satirical humor and leadership.
“He played every game in 2011, ‘12, ‘13, and ‘14. He also threw the greatest block I’ve ever seen, and that was in the playoffs against New Orleans on Alex Smith’s great touchdown run,” Harbaugh said. “But he’s the best offensive lineman I’ve ever coached.” Harbaugh noted that Staley was the first 49ers player he met upon being introduced as coach in 2011.
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Justin Smith
The defensive line’s lynchpin from 2008-14, Smith called into 95.7 The Game from his Missouri ranch to talk about “All-Pro Joe,” as Smith shared of Staley’s locker-room nickname.
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Ronnie Lott
Staley’s consistency and work ethic were lauded by an expert on such things, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott.
“What I loved is when you think about him and his personality and what he brought to the team, he did more than just play the game,” Lott said Monday on KNBR 680-AM. “Those attributes that we didn’t get a chance to see all the time but and all the things we heard from other plays of what he did in the locker room, those intangibles to also say a lot about the character in who he was and what he was able to accomplish.”
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