Former 49ers fullback Tom Rathman's NFL career statistics — 2,020 rushing yards and 2,684 receiving yards — speak to the versatility of the West Coast offense.
STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 7:00 pm
Former San Francisco 49ers fullback Tom Rathman’s NFL career statistics — 2,020 rushing yards and 2,684 receiving yards — speak to the versatility of the West Coast offense.
Bill Walsh, the legendary former 49ers head coach and perhaps the foremost West Coast offense guru, surely didn’t mind when his system was tagged “versatile.” Walsh, however, tended to bristle at the “finesse” label, Rathman said Tuesday.
“I believe you have to run the football,” the former Nebraska standout said. “But when I first came into the NFL (in 1986), we passed the ball to set up the run. That was probably our mentality. And that’s why the old 49ers were probably recognized early as a finesse team.
“I think Bill identified that, and he didn’t want to be known as a finesse team. And that’s probably one reason why he ended up drafting me.”
Selected in the third round, Rathman went on to play in the backfield with ex-Husker I-back Roger Craig, another punishing runner, on Walsh’s final three Niner teams, including the 1988 Super Bowl champions. Rathman wound up playing nine years in the NFL, retiring after the 1994 season.
“Bill gave me an opportunity to go out there and show that I could hopefully set some tempo for that offense and help the run game,” Rathman said. “He took a chance on me, and it all worked out.”
Rathman, now in his first season as Oakland Raiders running backs coach and 10th season overall as an NFL assistant, speaks in reverent tones about Walsh, who died Monday following a long battle with leukemia. He was 75.
Rathman’s recollections of the Niners’ West Coast offense — and Walsh’s resistance to the finesse label — might strike a chord with Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan and Husker fans.
When Callahan took over at Nebraska in 2004 with his version of the West Coast offense, he fought the perception that it was a finesse offense. Three seasons later, it’s clear Callahan strives for balance on offense and is determined to have a physical running game, just as Walsh did.
“I mean, (Walsh) knew what the perception was out there,” Rathman recalled. “But he understood you had to run the football, and you had to get somebody out there that could set some tempo.”
Walsh, in fact, went against the grain somewhat in using a fullback in the mid- to late 1980s, Rathman said.
“When I came into the league, people were getting away from the prototypical fullback,” he said. “They were going to two tight ends and one running back. Or they’d go one running back and (multiple) wide receivers. They were kind of eliminating the fullback position.
“But I think Bill understood what that position meant to an offense as far as setting some tempo and doing the little things.”
More than anything, Walsh’s offense relied on precision and timing, Rathman said.
Craig agreed.
“We exposed the defense’s weaknesses,” Craig said. “We outmaneuvered defenses with quickness. Our motto was, ‘Beat them to the punch.’”
They often did. Walsh led the Niners to world championships in 1981, 1984 and 1988 (Craig played on the last two of those title teams). All told, Walsh’s teams won six NFC West Division crowns.
In short, Walsh elevated the franchise from bottom-feeder status to an NFL dynasty. He accomplished it not only with his skill as a tactician, but also by raising the standards of everybody in the organization, Rathman said.
“You could see it in the way we practiced,” Rathman said. “You could see it in the locker room. He, along with (former owner) Eddie DeBartolo, are the guys who should be commended for building that dynasty.”
Added Craig: “Bill basically taught us how to be professional on and off the field. He was a visionary. A motivator. An innovator. He was ahead of his time.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.