gold star for USAHOF

302. Frankie Albert

Frankie Albert was the 10th overall pick in 1942 by the Chicago Bears, but remember, the year in question was 1942.  The Stanford graduate served in the Navy during World War II, and upon his return, he played for his home state's Los Angeles Bulldogs in the Pacific Coast League before joining the San Francisco 49ers in the upstart All-American Football Conference.

Albert played all four years of the AAFC's existence with San Francisco, where he was one of the league's better Quarterbacks.  Albert was named a Second Team All-Pro three times, and he led the league in Passing Touchdowns in 1948 and 1949 and in Completion Percentage in 1948.  When the team was absorbed into the National Football League in 1950, Albert was named to the Pro Bowl, proving to the gridiron world that he was just as good as any NFL pivot. 

Albert threw for 10,795 Yards and 115 TDs and ran for another 1,272 Yards and 27 TDs.  These are great numbers for a Quarterback from 1946 to 1952, and they can't be dismissed.  Sadly, much of what happened in the AAFC has not translated into Canton.

165. Gene Washington

A First Round Pick from Stanford in 1969, Gene Washington was part of the turnaround for the San Francisco 49ers from league doormats to respectability.  In his first four seasons in the National Football League, Washington made the Pro Bowl, earning First Team All-Pro honors in three of those years.

In 1970, Washington would have his best season, with his 1,100 Receiving Yards seeing him capture the league lead, and he would again finish at the top of another statistical category in 1972 with his 12 Touchdown Receptions.  Save for his final campaign with the Detroit Lions, Washington would play all of his career with the Niners and would accumulate 60 Touchdowns in total.