Ted Connolly

Theodore William Connolly (December 5, 1931 – February 24, 2014) was a professional American football player for the San Francisco 49ers from 1954 to 1962 and Cleveland Browns in 1963.

He earned all-Pro honors and was a member of the 1962 NFL All-Star team as named by The Sporting News.

Ted is considered the first NFL player to employ an attorney (re: sports agent) in contract negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers (See Reference #2).

He originally played in college at Santa Clara University and was an All-American until the Broncos dropped football in 1951. Connolly moved on to the University of Tulsa where he graduated in 1953.

He died at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada on February 24, 2014, from acute myelocytic leukemia.