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With Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana leading the way, the San Francisco 49ers clearly dominated the 1980s, winning four Super Bowls in the decade.
They were basically the NFL's version of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, who won six NBA titles during the 1990s.
In 1979, the 49ers hired Bill Walsh as head coach. Known for his famous "West Coast Offense," the former Stanford coach later guided the Niners to three of their four Super Bowl victories during the '80s.
Also in 1979, Walsh and the 49ers used a third-round pick (82nd overall) to select Montana. The Notre Dame product went on to become perhaps the greatest quarterback in NFL history not named Tom Brady.
The 49ers later drafted USC star Ronnie Lott in 1981. The hard-hitting safety would help the team win all four Super Bowls of the '80s and is considered one of the NFL's greatest defensive players of all time.
Over the next few years, San Francisco drafted more key players like Roger Craig, John Taylor and Charles Haley.
The team drafted the greatest wide receiver ever, Jerry Rice, in 1985. Two years later, they traded for backup quarterback Steve Young, who eventually took over for Montana and led the team to another Super Bowl victory during the 90s.
Revisiting the San Francisco 49ers' 1980s dynasty
Against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship Game, Montana threw a game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Dwight Clark, known simply as "The Catch."
The 49ers won Super Bowl XVI a few weeks later, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21. This, of course, was the beginning of the franchise's iconic 1980s dynasty.
San Francisco went just 3-6 in 1982 (strike-shortened season) and lost to Washington in the 1983 NFC Championship game. However, they returned to form the following year with a 38-16 win over MVP Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins (Super Bowl XIX).
The 49ers went a combined 33-13-1 over the next three seasons, but didn't reach the Super Bowl. They got over the hump the following year as they knocked off the Bengals 20-16 in Super Bowl XXIII. Rice won the lone Super MVP of his career with 11 receptions and and 215 yards (the record still stands today).
That turned out to be Walsh's last season on the sidelines as he was replaced by head coach George Seifert. Seifert wound up guiding the Niners to a Super Bowl win during his first year. San Francisco demolished the Denver Broncos 55-10 in XXIX, hoisting their fourth and final Lombardi Trophy of the decade.
