SANTA CLARA — In a quietly cool move last week, one of the 49ers all-time leading rushers helped orchestrate a family surprise for the man just below him on the list.
The tale began when Ken Willard, a four-time Pro Bowl selection from 1965-73, was tapped as an honorary captain for the Nov. 1 game against the Raiders at Levi’s Stadium.
His granddaughters, Tierney and Krista, decided to secretly fly in from South Carolina to surprise Ken for his big moment. But they did so on a limited budget and had trouble getting through to the 49ers organization for tickets.