"Hopefully, it won't get too physical," Roger Craig says. It was the kind of thing you’d hear from just about any middle-aged guy talking about getting together to play a game of football with friends.
"'Cause sometimes, you know, competitive juices come out of you and you tend to forget that you’re 50 years old," he says. "You can’t make those moves any more, so be careful.”
Only Craig isn’t your average weekend warrior. He made a name for himself as a relentless running back and talented receiver for three of the San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl championship teams.
Craig was among dozens of fellow retired teammates, including Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana and receiver Jerry Rice, to get together for a charity game of flag football earlier this month at Candlestick Park. The old 49ers, mostly in their 50s, took on a squad of retired NFL stars led by Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino — Montana's foil in the 1984 Super Bowl.
The “Legends of Candlestick” game was billed as the stadium’s final football game forever. It was a chance for fans like San Jose's Joe Quilici to say goodbye to a tired-looking Candlestick and celebrate its legacy.