Million Dollar Backfield (San Francisco 49ers)

The Million Dollar Backfield was a National Football League (NFL) offensive backfield of the San Francisco 49ers from 1954 to 1956. Featuring quarterback Y.A. Tittle, halfbacks Hugh McElhenny and John Henry Johnson, and fullback Joe Perry, the backfield was also referred to as the "Fabulous Foursome" and "Fearsome Foursome". Formed well before players earned six-figure salaries, the unit was named as such for its offensive prowess, and compiled record offensive statistics. It is regarded as one of the best backfields compiled in NFL history, and is the only full house backfield to have all four of its members enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The 49ers in the 1950s used the T formation, sometimes referred to as a "full house" backfield, which deployed a quarterback, fullback, and two halfbacks. Such a formation was common at the time at both the college and professional levels, as teams were generally more focused on running the ball than passing it. The Million Dollar Backfield began its construction in 1948 with the team's signing of fullback Joe Perry. In 1951, quarterback Y.A. Tittle was drafted in the 1951 NFL Draft. Tittle had played the previous three seasons with the Baltimore Colts, and became available in that year's draft after the Colts folded. The next year the 49ers drafted Hugh McElhenny, a halfback, in the first round to complement Tittle and Perry. All three were invited to play in the Pro Bowl for 1953, comprising the starting offensive backfield for the West. The final piece of the puzzle came in 1954, when John Henry Johnson joined the team. Despite the name, not even when combined did the players' salaries approach the million-dollar figure. In reality, at the time, players often took off-season jobs to supplement their income; Tittle launched his own insurance agency while with the 49ers. Johnson, who never made more than $40,000 in a season, joked in 1987 that he was "still looking for the million."

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