Charlie Krueger


Charles Andrew Krueger is a former American football player, a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League, all with the San Francisco 49ers. In college, he was a two-time All-American at Texas A&M and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Caldwell, Texas, Krueger graduated from Caldwell High School and played college football at Texas A&M University. He was twice an All-American under head coach Bear Bryant.

NFL career

Krueger was taken in the first round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the 49ers, the eighth overall selection. He played defensive tackle for the team until his retirement in 1973.
With the 49ers, Krueger wore number 70 and his number was retired by the team. He was one of the last linemen in the NFL to wear a two-bar "quarterback" facemask. His brother Rolf was also an NFL player with the St. Louis Cardinals and the 49ers, where the two played together in 1972 and 1973.

After retirement

At age 51 in 1988, Krueger was awarded more than $2.3 million in damages stemming from a lawsuit against the San Francisco 49ers. The judge found that Krueger received repeated anesthetic injections during his NFL career so that he could continue to play in spite of significant knee injuries. The decision found that the 49ers were not truthful with Krueger regarding the seriousness of his injuries, which left him with severe chronic pain after his playing days.