The 49ers are bringing John Brodie’s No. 12 jersey out of retirement so Trent Dilfer can wear it as a tribute to the former quarterback.
A formal announcement is expected July 27, the day before the 49ers open training camp. A club spokesman declined to confirm the news, but Brodie and Dilfer did.
Dilfer, a longtime friend of Brodie, broached the subject in a phone call to Brodie within hours of being traded to the 49ers two months ago.
“I’d love to honor you by wearing your number. Is that all right?” Dilfer said he told Brodie. “And he said, `Yes! Yes!’ He was all fired up.”
By getting Brodie’s number back in circulation, Dilfer said he hopes to build sentiment for a drive to get Brodie in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
[Mercury News]
