The Glory Days of Mr. D

In the Beginning

Eddie DeBartolo Jr. grew up in the small, working-class steel mill town of Youngstown, Ohio. His father, Eddie DeBartolo Sr., worked in development and Eddie himself lived what he recalls as a very “normal” childhood. He confesses that sports were never his forte, admitting, “I was too small to play football; I was really more of a spectator than a player.” He adds, “To be honest, when I was growing up, I had always wanted to be a doctor.” But dreams of Medical School were set aside once his father’s company, The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, started to take off.

Upon graduating from University of Notre Dame with a degree in Business, DeBartolo joined his father full-time. In the 1960s, the company, went from developing local roads and homes, to strip centers and local malls, and then to regional malls. DeBartolo explains, “The company did everything; we managed, we built, we had a whole architectural and engineering department. We called it ‘Concept to Completion’; and that was my life.” At one point, The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation owned more than 100 malls throughout the U.S. and was responsible for building the world’s largest and most expensive shopping center at the time, establishing its legacy as one of the most successful real estate companies in history. Yet despite the groundbreaking success of the DeBartolo family business, this was really only the very beginning; Eddie DeBartolo Jr.’s legacy had only just begun.

A Fateful Phone Call

It’s surprising to discover that the DeBartolo family really just stumbled upon ownership of the San Francisco 49ers. In fact, DeBartolo Sr. had first attempted to buy both the Cleveland Browns back in 1959 and Tampa Bay in 1976 (two areas of the country in which they held a significant amount of real estate). It wasn’t until March of 1977 that they received that fateful phone call that the 49ers were for sale. The father-son duo flew out to meet with the team’s lawyers and representatives, and the deal was locked down a month later. “I got involved and made it my passion from the very beginning,” DeBartolo says, but admits, “The problem was, I didn’t know football, I made so many mistakes early on.” He refers to the team’s abysmal 2-14 record his first two seasons. No one could have predicted that this team was just on the brink of making NFL history.

Incredible Foresight

In 1979, DeBartolo hired coach Bill Walsh to help revive his struggling team. Even Walsh at the time doubted that he could help the team rebuild. But it was he who suggested drafting Joe Montana that same year. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” DeBartolo says, narrating this detailed story like a proud father recalling his son’s first steps. “We were in a small office in Redwood City, California on Nevada Street and I was standing outside the office. It was the third round and Walsh came to me and said, ‘We’re thinking about this kid from Notre Dame—Joe Montana. He’s not very big, he doesn’t have a very strong arm, but I really like him because he’s a winner; he’s just got that intangible’.” With only this inkling to go by, DeBartolo honored Walsh’s wishes, and Montana joined the team. “I really don’t think anybody had the foresight, ever, that Bill Walsh had,” DeBartolo proclaims. Most others will agree; Walsh is now known as one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. Just two years later, (a national record), the San Francisco 49ers went from being the worst team in the league to winning their first Super Bowl championship.

Establishing his Dynasty

These were the Glory Days for the 49ers; the team was a unified, unstoppable body that produced numerous Hall of Fame players like Jerry Rice, Steve Young, and Ronnie Lott, with DeBartolo (“Mr. D” as he was affectionately called,”) always as the team’s backbone. And although there was money to be made, a lot of money, for Mr. D, it was never really about that. “Our bottom line was nowhere near as important as our record,” he says. “Whether it was playing the Cowboys or whoever it was, it was about the team going out there every Sunday and doing the best they can.” He admits that he really was “a different type of owner,” refusing to get involved with any of the players’ contracts, or meddling in coaching decisions. Yet his passion and commitment to the team was certainly in a class of its own. “I was very competitive,” he recalls. “When you’re in a business like pro football, it’s competitive from the minute you’re involved. It just gets in your blood.” Although he laughs, “I probably was a little more competitive than the normal person.”

It is clear that Mr. D truly poured his heart into his team. He felt their triumphs and their struggles; he celebrated their wins, and mourned their losses. He cared for them, and they, in return, cared for and played their very best for him. “They were warriors!” he exclaims, reliving some of the team’s most memorable moments. “Jerry Rice put ‘warrior’ on his shoe with magic marker; Ronnie Lott had the tip of his pinky finger cut off during a game and went back and played! Does it take anything more than that?” He nostalgically gushes about his former players and his fond memories of working with them.

The city of San Francisco too certainly felt both the team’s fervor and camaraderie. They saw themselves not only as fans, but as players and owners too. “The team was always such an integral part of the city,” DeBartolo explains. “I don’t think this was ever more evident than in 1989 when we had the earthquake and there was such devastation and destruction out there. We couldn’t even play in Candlestick Park, so we had to play New England in Stanford Stadium…I think that the 49ers were the glue that helped bring the Bay Area back to its consciousness after that horrible disaster.” Throughout the ‘90s, the 49ers continued to reign, picking up their fifth Super Bowl win in 1994, and continuing on to the playoffs for consecutive years after that.

His Legacy Continues

Today, although the DeBartolo dynasty has since come and gone, the former owner will forever remain an icon in the Golden City. He was enshrined into the 49ers Hall of Fame in 2009 during a special halftime ceremony, which brought in thousands of fans who came out to show their support. A year later, during Jerry Rice’s jersey retirement ceremony, DeBartolo, along with other former players, were on the field right beside him. Again, the sheer number of fans who came out to pay tribute was remarkable. “It was unbelievable!” DeBartolo recalls. “It was truly like a family reunion, and the fans were the icing on the cake; they always meant so much to me—and they still do. Even being removed from the team for ten years, I think that I’m still important to them too.”

Yet when pressed to discover if he compares himself to the likes of Jerry Buss or George Steinbrenner, DeBartolo humbly replies, “Oh, I don’t know, I never even thought about it. It was always the fact that I was lucky enough to be so much a part of that team, and so much a part of the players and the coaches. I just felt like the luckiest person in the world.” Remarkably modest sentiments from a man who is held in such high regards by the city and the NFL.

So if the right opportunity came along, would he go for it? “Well, I’m certainly not happy being away from them,” he admits. He pauses for a moment before he adds, “But you know that old saying, ‘been there done that’?” Instead, DeBartolo looks forward to spending time with his friends and his family. He even took his grandson onto the field when he was enshrined into the hall-of-fame and at the Jerry Rice jersey retirement. “I think it finally dawned on him when he heard the fans and when he saw the players; it hit him like a ton of bricks—his grandfather has five Super Bowl trophies! He’s such a sports fanatic now! He’s only 7 and he knows more about what’s going on in football than I do. It’s fun talking to him about that…” he trails off from his heartfelt story, and affectionately professes, “I guess that’s just part of being a grandfather.” And while Mr. D is undoubtedly a true idol in the eyes of his grandchildren, he remains an idol for San Francisco as well. Mr. D. will forever be remembered as one of the greatest professional team owners of all time.