On this day in 1977, Eddie DeBartolo became the owner of the San Francisco 49ers. If you’re counting, that was 40 years ago. He strived to make the team feel less like a business and more like a family during his ownership tenure. It was well known he put the team up in better hotels, gave better plane seats, and wanted the best for his guys.
When he owned the San Francisco 49ers, Eddied DeBartolo had a strong locker room presence. There were stories of how he’d hand towels to players following the game, or go join recently ejected players like Charles Haley in the locker room so they weren’t alone.