Willis heads list of Niners stars worthy of Hall enshrinement
Former 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis forwarded his congratulations Sunday onto this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class, doing so via Twitter.
Someday, and perhaps already two years too late, Willis will join those enshrined in Canton, Ohio.
Willis was a semifinalist each of his first two seasons of eligibility, but since missed the cut to 15 modern-era finalists. He doesn’t lack credentials. In seven full seasons, Willis was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro.
For comparison’s sake, recently selected Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro in nine seasons with the Detroit Lions.
Willis won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2007 as a 49ers’ first-round draft pick (No. 11). Two years after helping
lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl, Willis managed to play just six games in 2014, then surprisingly retired in March 2015, citing foot injuries.
Willis is one of at least 10 former 49ers who are credible candidates for future Hall of Fame classes. Among them:
• Frank Gore, running back: Eligible five years after retiring as the 49ers’ all-time rushing leader and the NFL’s No. 2 or 3 rusher.
• Bryant Young, defensive lineman: 2020 finalist.
• Roger Craig, running back: two-time finalist, now must get in via seniors committee.
• Bobb McKittrick, offensive line coach: Won five Super Bowls in career from 1979-99.
• Joe Staley, left tackle: 2025 eligible.
• Justin Smith, defensive lineman: Two-time nominee.
• NaVorro Bowman, linebacker: 2023 eligible.
• Ricky Watters, running back: 2020 semifinalist.
• Colin Kaepernick, quarterback: Eligible in 2022, and his Hall of Fame fate more likely would come into play down the road in the “contributor” category for his social equality push rather than his exceptional quarterback play in the 2012 and ‘13 postseasons.
Which current 49ers are on track for Canton?
Cornerback Richard Sherman and left tackle Trent Williams, two pending free agents, have the strongest credentials. Rising stars are tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, defensive end Nick Bosa and, perhaps,
quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, so long as he comes back in 2021 like he did in 2019 and produces another Super Bowl berth — and then some.
A few others to watch: kicker Robbie Gould and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. 49ERS KEEP ROSEN FOR A LONGER LOOK >> Josh Rosen, the former first-round draft pick signed by the 49ers off the Tampa Bay practice squad last December, will get a more extended look this offseason and training camp.
Rosen, the 49ers announced, signed a one-year contract Monday along with running back Austin Walter. With Garappolo hobbled by an ankle injury and Nick Mullens lost to an elbow injury, Rosen agreed to join the 49ers’ 53-man roster on Dec. 23 for the remainder of the season.
While it remains to
be seen what the 49ers will do about Garoppolo, coach Kyle Shanahan liked enough of what he saw from Rosen to get him in the offseason program and training camp pending COVID-19 restrictions.
Mullens is a restricted free agent who underwent elbow surgery in December and may or may not be ready for training camp if re-signed. C.J. Beathard is an unrestricted free agent, leaving Garoppolo, Rosen and Josh Johnson as the 49ers’ quarterbacks currently under contract.
Walter (5-8, 202) was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad on Nov. 11. He played in four games, carried once for three yards, caught one pass for 27 yards and returned five kickoffs for 93 yards.
DEATH
(e.g., In which film is, “I run through the valley of the shadow of death”? Answer: “Love and Death.”)
Freshman level
1. This TV series features survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
2. In which novel is, “Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest, yo-ho-ho”?
3. In which film is, “I see dead people”?
Graduate level
4. In this film Susan Sarandon visits Sean Penn, who plays a prisoner on death row.
5. What group includes pride, greed,
wrath and envy?
6. In which film is, “Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line!”?
Ph.D. level
7. The main tributary of this lake is the Jordan River.
8. This term describes someone who is dead by the time they arrive at the hospital.
9. In which film is: “I met Death today. We are playing chess.” ANSWERS: 1. “The Walking Dead.” 2. “Treasure Island.” 3. “The Sixth Sense.”
4. “Dead Man Walking.” 5. Seven Deadly Sins. 6. “The Princess Bride.” 7. “Dead Sea.” 8. DOA (dead on arrival). 9. “The Seventh Seal.”
— North America Syndicate Inc.
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung — central to the company’s transformation from conventional carmaker to mobility giant promoting flying cars and hydrogen-fuel cells — had his first, very public, stumble this week.
On Monday, after a month of intense speculation around who may team with Apple to help develop its much-vaunted self-driving electric car, Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. were forced in separate exchange filings to say they weren’t in any talks with the tech behemoth, backing away from an earlier Hyundai statement that confirmed they were in discussions.
That Jan. 8 initial disclosure,
along with other reports of talks, no doubt infuriated Apple, which keeps development projects secret for years and controls relationships with suppliers with ruthless efficiency. It’s unclear if — or when — discussions between the two might resume.
Hyundai “might have learned some lessons through this issue,” said Koh Tae-bong, head of research at HI Investment & Securities Co. in Seoul. “Keeping internal discussions internal is important.”
Read more: Hyundai Execs Sold Stocks Before Disclosing
No Talks With Apple
The fracas — which saw Hyundai edit and dial back its January statement twice — is an embarrassment for Chung, who took over from his father Mong-Koo Chung as chairman of South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate in October after two years as executive vice chairman. And if talks with Apple never restart, it’s a small disappointment, considering there are only a handful of global automakers with the capacity and capability to mass manufacture vehicles.
It’s also an unfortunate setback in what has been a relatively smooth run for Chung thus far. In his four months at the helm, and during his previous tenure,
Chung has demonstrated his dealmaking prowess and set Hyundai on a course that noses it toward a cleaner, greener future.
There have also been tieups with Uber Technologies Inc. and Aptiv Plc for the development of flying and autonomous cars, with plans to debut the former as soon as 2028. Hyundai hydrogen fuel-cell trucks are already on the roads in Switzerland.
Chung has also sought to improve profitability at Hyundai Motor, adding more sport-utility vehicles to the lineup and plowing money into the carmaker’s electric-vehicle ambitions. Hyundai Motor will start selling the Ioniq 5, its first EV assembled on the company’s dedicated EV platform, next month in Europe.
In December, Hyundai Motor Group scored a coup after it struck a deal to buy 80% of Boston Dynamics Inc., a transaction that valued the mobile robot firm at $1.1 billion. The broader Hyundai empire is exploring practical uses for industrial robots, with the aim of one day developing them for sophisticated services like caregiving for patients at hospitals.