Ken Casanega obit

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Ken Casanega dead at 100: San Francisco 49ers quarterback and last living member of original squad passes away

 

He was not on the list.

SAN Francisco 49ers quarterback Ken Casanega, the last living member of the original squad, has passed away at 100.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Casanega died on Sunday in Medford, Oregon.

He played college football at Santa Clara University, previously attending Castlemont High School in Oakland, California.

Casanega was picked 3rd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1942 NFL Draft.

However, he turned down the offer to serve his country as a US Naval aviator during World War II.

Casanega ultimately played two seasons with the 49ers in the All-America Football Conference, joining the team in 1946 as their quarterback and halfback.

The California native ranked second in interceptions and third in punt-return yards in the AAFC, which merged with the NFL after the 1949 season.

After the 1946 season, Casanega left the 49ers to become a teacher at John Swett-Crockett High School.

As a math teacher at John Swett-Crocket, Casanega had a distinguished career in education.

He became the principal at Napa High School when he was 31 and was the superintendent of the San Benito High School District in Hollister when he retired in 1980.

Casanega was named Castlemont-Oakland’s Athlete of the Decade for the 1930s and a Santa Clara University’s Hall of Fame member.

He is survived by his wife Helen, three sons, four grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.