Neal Dahlen, winner of 7 Super Bowls with 49ers and Broncos, dies at 85
· Yahoo Sports
Neal Dahlen, a front-office executive with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos who is one of three men in NFL history to earn seven Super Bowl rings, died Wednesday at 85.
Dahlen's teams went 7-0 in Super Bowls during his tenure. He won five during his 17-year run (1979-96) with the 49ers and two in his seven years (1996-2003) with the Broncos. Dahlen's seven titles trail only coach Bill Belichick (eight) and are tied with quarterback Tom Brady.
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Dahlen had a standard line when asked about his success.
"Joe Montana, Steve Young and John Elway," Dahlen told the Chronicle in 2019, referencing the Hall of Fame QBs who combined to throw 18 touchdowns and two interceptions in those seven Super Bowls.
Dahlen was a quarterback at Capuchino High School in San Bruno who played at San Jose State. He coached for 17 years at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo and the College of San Mateo, and joined the 49ers as a part-time employee during their training camp in 1979, Bill Walsh's first season. Dahlen climbed the ranks while being mentored by general manager John McVay and had a longtime role in the personnel department evaluating pro and college players.
Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan hired Dahlen in 1996 as his director of player personnel. Shanahan spent three seasons (1992-94) with Dahlen when he was the 49ers' offensive coordinator.
"He left no stone unturned in evaluating college and pro players," Shanahan told the Chronicle in 2019. "He was able to find everything you were looking for about a player."
Dahlen was the Broncos' general manager from 1999-2002 before he spent his final year as Denver's director of football administration, retiring in 2003 when he was 63.
In 1998, when 49ers general manager Dwight Clark was poised to take the same role with the Browns, there was speculation the 49ers wanted Dahlen to return to fill the vacancy. Shanahan didn't allow the 49ers to speak with Dahlen, who was under a long-term contract.
"I've got him signed up," Shanahan said at the time. "He's my right-hand man … There's no way I would let someone (talk to him about another job)."
Dahlen was inducted into the Hillsdale High Hall of Fame, the College of San Mateo Hall of Fame and the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame.
This article originally published at Neal Dahlen, winner of 7 Super Bowls with 49ers and Broncos, dies at 85.