SANTA CLARA — Before earning a glamorous role as the do-everything fullback in Bill Walsh’s innovative offense, Tom Rathman made his mark as a special teams grunt.
The bruises he administered to opponents while blocking on kickoffs and punt return units might still be under an ice pack somewhere.
Now, Rathman is leaving permanent mark in a far grander way: The 49ers announced Wednesday that he will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame this fall. They will make it official a press conference at Levi’s Stadium.
No one epitomizes being a @49ers more than Tom Rathman.