July 30, 2015

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2121 George Halas Dr NW Canton, OH 44708

Dear Selection Committee,

He threw more touchdowns than Joe Namath. His completion percentage is higher than that of Johnny Unitas. His quarterback rating is higher than Terry Bradshaw’s. He has more completions than Sonny Jurgensen. And he has more career passing yards than Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Len Dawson and Roger Staubach.

Yet John Brodie is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The rest are.

The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce – representing 1,500 businesses with a quarter-million employees – hereby nominates John Riley Brodie, the 1970 National Football League Most Valuable Player, to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

After a stellar career at Stanford University, Brodie was selected in the first round of the 1957 NFL by the San Francisco 49ers. He shared time with Y.A. Tittle during the 1957-60 seasons before becoming the team’s starter in 1961. For more than a decade Brodie led the 49ers on his way to becoming one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks.

Brodie’s career totals certainly merit his enshrinement, especially when compared to his contemporaries. During a career that spanned from 1957 to 1973, Brodie threw for 31,548 yards and tossed 214 touchdowns in 201 career games.

He led the league in passes completed and passing yards in 1965, 1968 and 1970 and passing touchdowns in 1965 and 1970.

He appeared in the Pro Bowl in 1965 and 1970 and was the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1970. When he retired from the NFL at the end of the 1973 season, he ranked third in career passing yards, behind only Johnny Unitas and Fran Tarkenton. A tough and talented field leader, Brodie’s career accomplishments deserve enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. His statistics compare favourably to many of his peers who are Hall of Famers.

By the numbers:

Career touchdown passes: Namath 173 Brodie 214

Career completion percentage: Unitas 54.6% Brodie 55%

Career quarterback rating: Bradshaw 70.9 Brodie 72.3

Career completions: Jurgensen 2,433 Brodie 2,469

Career passing yards: Starr 24,718 Brodie 31,548

Griese 25,092

Dawson 28,711

Staubach 22,700

John Brodie clearly had a stellar career with the San Francisco 49ers. Now the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce – San Francisco’s largest and most vibrant business network – is proud to nominate John Brodie for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Respectfully submitted,

Bob Linscheid, President & CEO, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce