Charlie Krueger

Charles Andrew Krueger (January 28, 1937 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Texas A&M, where he was a two-time All-American. He is a member of several halls of fame, including the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame, National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life

Krueger was born on January 28, 1937, and raised in Caldwell, Texas, the second oldest of eight children. His family was poor; all the boys helped out in their father's mattress factory business. By the time Charlie was 11 he could stuff and stitch a neat ticking. When he was 12, Kruger started playing football at halfback, but he soon grew in size to be more fit as a lineman. Starting at age 13, he pushed steel on Santa Fe track gangs and on oil rigs. As a sophomore at Caldwell High School, he weighed 190 pounds and was 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m). future NFL All-Pro linebacker and coach Jack Pardee, and future Aggie coach Gene Stallings.

Krueger received All-Southwest Conference (SWC) and All-American honors for the 1956 and 1957 seasons. He was part of the 1956 Aggies team that won the SWC championship. After his senior season, he played as captain of the 1958 College All-Star Team, which defeated the Detroit Lions 35–19; and played extremely well in the game.

NFL career Krueger was selected ninth overall in the first round of the 1958 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He played defensive tackle for the team until his retirement in 1973. After sitting out his rookie year due to injury, he started 193 of the 198 games in which he appeared. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1960 and 1964. From 1970-72, his teams won three consecutive NFC West titles. In the 1971 championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and 49ers, coach Tom Landry ran 90% of the Cowboys' running plays away from Krueger. Landry said, "'No one is able to gain running at Charlie Krueger ... and we were not about to experiment.'" his defensive teammates included Pro Football Hall of Fame members Dave Wilcox at linebacker and Jimmy Johnson at cornerback. He was one of the last linemen in the NFL to wear a two-bar "quarterback" facemask. Toward the end of his career, veteran players called him "'The last of the old leather.'"

Krueger's 15-year tenure with the 49ers is tied with Len Rohde for fourth in team history, behind John Brodie, Jerry Rice, and Jimmy Johnson. He was a mentor, father figure, or big brother to many players on the team; and was particularly close with Howard Mudd. Mudd said of Krueger, "'Charlie Krueger is such a pure guy, he has no enemies. ... But he is an incredibly complex man. I always felt he cared too much about football.'" In 2014, he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Personal life and death From 1960 to his death, Krueger lived in Clayton, California where he was involved with charitable organizations. He suffered health problems in his later years that prevented him from enjoying the outdoors. He was survived by his wife of 48 years, Kristin Adler Krueger. A man of diverse interests and friendships, the small-town rugged Texas football lineman had a nearly 50-year marriage to the European-educated daughter of San Francisco Opera General Director Kurt Herbert Adler.