Monty Stickles established himself as the San Francisco 49ers' first great tight end, combining sure-handed receiving with ferociously physical blocking that made him one of the most intimidating players of his era. Born on August 16, 1938, in Kingston, New York, Stickles grew up in Poughkeepsie and attended Poughkeepsie High School before earning a scholarship to Notre Dame. Playing as an end for the Fighting Irish from 1957 to 1959, he was a three-year starter who accumulated 42 receptions for 746 yards and twelve touchdowns while also kicking extra points and field goals. As a sophomore in 1957, he was part of the Notre Dame team that upset Oklahoma 7-0, ending their legendary 47-game winning streak. Stickles earned first-team All-American honors in 1958 and consensus All-American recognition in 1959, finishing ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior.
Selected 11th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1960 NFL draft—and also chosen in the first round by the AFL's Los Angeles Chargers—the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Stickles chose the established league. Over nine seasons (1960-1967 with San Francisco, 1968 with New Orleans), he accumulated 222 receptions for 3,199 yards and sixteen touchdowns. From 1961 to 1966, he started every game save four, establishing himself as a cornerstone of the 49ers offense.
Stickles's playing strengths defined toughness and versatility: exceptional hands making him a reliable receiving target; devastating blocking ability for protecting quarterbacks like John Brodie; an intimidating physical presence when going against elite defenders like Deacon Jones; self-admitted dirty tactics of cheap-shotting linebackers then drawing officials' attention so opponents would be ejected when they retaliated; a teammate enforcer coming to the defense of 49ers players.
His greatest moments showcased reliability and resilience: an explosive NFL debut when he caught eight passes against the New York Giants; the breakthrough 1961 season when he established career bests with 43 receptions for 794 yards and five touchdowns; the impressive 1964 comeback when he posted 40 catches for 685 yards after struggling with just eleven receptions in 1963.
Following his retirement, Stickles pioneered sports talk radio as a color commentator for California Golden Bears football and Oakland Raiders games on KGO Radio, including calling the famous 1978 "Holy Roller" game. His most memorable broadcasting moment came in 1984 when a post-game interview with Giants manager Frank Robinson required bleeping Robinson 23 times in 56 seconds. Stickles left broadcasting in 1985 to spend twenty years selling beer for a Bay Area distributor before retiring in 2004. He died on September 3, 2006, of heart failure at age 68 in Oakland.
