Dan Colchico
A hard-nosed defensive end who anchored the San Francisco 49ers' line through the tumultuous early years of the modern NFL.
1935–2014 (age 79)·American football player·Birthday: May 27·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dan Colchico's football career was forged in the less-glamorous, physically punishing trenches of the early 1960s NFL. Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers out of San Jose State, the defensive end quickly became a starter, known for his toughness and relentless motor. At 6'3" and 245 pounds, he was sized more for that era's game, using strength and technique to pressure quarterbacks and set the edge against the run. Colchico played his entire seven-year career with the 49ers, a period when the team was often solid but struggled to break through in a conference dominated by the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts. He was a constant on a defensive unit that featured stars like linebacker Matt Hazeltine. While sack statistics weren't officially kept then, his role was clear: disrupt the offense and hold the line. His career ended just before the 49ers' dynasty began, making him a bridge between the team's earlier incarnations and its future success.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dan was born in 1935, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1935
#1 Movie
Mutiny on the Bounty
Best Picture
Mutiny on the Bounty
Dan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1935Born
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1940Started school
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1948Became a teenager
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Could drive
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1953Could vote
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Turned 21
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1965Turned 30
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 40
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 50
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 60
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 70
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2014Died at 79
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Played in 84 games over seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers, starting the majority of them at defensive end.
- Recovered 8 fumbles during his NFL career, showcasing his awareness and hustle on the field.
- Was a consistent starter on 49ers defenses that ranked among the better units in the NFL in the early 1960s.
Did You Know?
He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
He played his college football at San Jose State University.
After football, he worked as a contractor and owned a bar in the San Jose area.
“You earn your spot on Sunday with what you do on the practice field all week.”
