Stanford football: 15 greatest quarterbacks in Cardinal history

John Brodie made his mark on the Bay Area long before he ever put on the San Francisco 49ers uniform. An absolute star during his time at Stanford, Brodie became one of the better quarterbacks in the history of the program, playing so well for the team that he would eventually become the No. 3 overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft.

Before we get to his exploits at the NFL level, let us look back at his 1956 NCAA season, where he took the country by storm. The best quarterback in the country during that season, Brodie led the NCAA in many statistical categories, en-route to finishing seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

During that 1956 season, Brodie led the NCAA in completions (139), attempts (240), completion percentage (57.9), yards (1,633) and touchdown passes (12). A member of the Stanford Hall of Fame, Brodie was also a standout golfer during his time at the school, aside from being an All-American football player.

After the 49ers selected him at No. 3 overall, he would go on to play for the team from 1957 through 1973, winning NFL MVP in 1970. After football, he went back to playing golf, making a second career on the Senior PGA Tour, a sport where he also stood out during his time at Stanford.