By all accounts, John McVay had a lot to be proud of. By those same accounts, he was one of the least prideful people you'd ever meet.
And he has reason to be boastful: McVay, an executive who wore many hats, including the general manager's, in his 21 years over two stints working in the 49ers front office, stuck around for all five of San Francisco's Super Bowl titles.
Assembling talent was a specialty of McVay's regimes. Known for his ability to mesh the stronger personalities of his own head coach and owner, Bill Walsh and Eddie Debartolo Jr., respectively, throughout the 1980s, he is responsible for bringing in some of the 49ers most legendary players.
Three losing seasons as a 40-something coach of the New York Giants, 1977-79, colored his attitude going forward in the NFL.
"From my perspective, I said, 'Any franchise or coach that I work for, I'm going to make damn sure that they have enough players," said McVay, whose Giants coaching staff hosted then Stanford coach Bill Walsh before they became friends. The pair reunited in 1979 when Walsh accepted the 49ers coaching job and tasked McVay with directing player personnel. "I was on the first plane," he said.
With DeBartolo's resources as well as the know-how of McVay and Walsh, San Francisco started a breeding ground for talent, both in uniform and on the sideline. According to McVay's memory, this is how an exchange would go between he and his coach and DeBartolo.
"Eddie, we need a tight end."
"Well, get one. Better yet, get two."
The McVay-Walsh duo used all avenues to accumulate talent, including open workouts on a high school field at 711 Nevada Street in Redwood City that produced 1980s role player Bill Ring. More often than not, however, Walsh would get the best out of the 49ers growing number of scouts.
"Bill would say, 'Don't tell me what they can't do,'" McVay remembered. "He'd say, 'Tell me what they can do for us.'
"Bill was scary in his ability to evaluate talent."
Of course, the third-round selection of Joe Montana in 1979 set up San Francisco for its championship-winning ways.
"Over the years and at that time, there was absolutely no shortage of 49ers personnel – scouts, assistant coaches, equipment men, trainers, everybody – no shortage of people who took complete credit for drafting Joe Montana," McVay said. "Actually, it was Bill Walsh who drafted him."
