Joe Staley on 49ers exit: ‘Oh man, I’m going to miss football a lot’
Joe Staley’s retirement press conference hummed for 30 minutes with the graceful blend of humility and humor everyone came to know in his 13 years as the 49ers’ left tackle.
Then came the end. Staley wanted to get in the final words in the Zoom room.
“This feels really weird right now. Oh boy,” Staley began, with emotion overtaking him. “You guys have meant a lot to me. It’s been really, really, really cool getting to know every one of you guys over the years and develop personal relationships, talking about different things that deal with football and don’t deal with football.
“I’m going to miss it.
“It’s been really cool.”
Staley paused. The video conference could have ended there. Two days after announcing his retirement in an expansive, thank-you letter on social media, his closing remarks kept coming.
“I came from Central Michigan and didn’t know anything about media and talking to people. I was super nervous about talking to our local student-newspaper guy who’d interview me about the upcoming year in 2004,” Staley added. “But coming into an NFL locker room and having cameras in your face and getting asked about a lot of different things, you guys always treated me with a ton of respect and treated my family with a lot of respect.
“Oh man, I’m going to miss football a lot. I love football a ton. It was really cool. I don’t know what else to say. I’m going to ramble on. I just want you all to know I really appreciate every one of you and hopefully I’ll see you all soon.”
And that simply sums up Staley, a person looking out for others and appreciating their efforts.
As for Staley the left tackle, his former teammates and coaches took time Tuesday to praise his impact on their lives, the game of football and the 49ers, all of which make him worthy in their minds for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as 2025.
“He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, who was Staley’s coach at Central Michigan. “That kind of durability and consistency, I think, with six or seven head coaches. It’s a testament to him and his character and who he is as a person.”
Added tight end George Kittle: “He embodies absolutely everything about football that football should be about: The hard working, the grit, how much fun he has playing the game, the work he puts into it, how much better he is playing that position that a lot of people in the league, how much he just loves the game of football.”
Staley, 35, professed that love five times during his press conference.
“This is all so fresh, and I’ll take time, enjoy my family and be used to not being a football player anymore,” Staley said. “I still have a huge love for football.”
His greater love is his family with wife, Carrie, and their daughters, Grace and Audrey. Being healthy enough for them is paramount, and his health deteriorated last season, from a Week 2 broken leg to a busted knuckle at midseason to a neck issue that progressively worsened all the way through to the Super Bowl.
Losing that Super Bowl, 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs, obviously made for a crushing end to a career that included six Pro Bowl honors and a spot on the NFL 2010’s All-Decade Team (ahead of Williams).
As much as Staley appreciated that All-Decade honor as a respectful tribute to his career, he also noted how awards never drove him, and he was taught that by his parents, Butch and Jan.
“It’s not about accolades, it’s not about doing stuff to get noticed,” Staley said. “Whatever you’re doing, you’re trying to give your best at. You’re trying to win and be the best you can be. The Super Bowl is the best thing you can do, to win a Super Bowl. It sucks, it really does, to not be able to win that.
“I’ve been watching since 5 and I saw the joy it brings players to win that and hoist that trophy in the air. To reflect on the journey and how meaningful that would have been for me and the team. But it wasn’t in the cards.
“I gave everything I have to the game of football. I definitely don’t leave my head hung in that respect. I did everything I could do but for whatever reason it just didn’t happen for me or for us. It’s frustrating but it won’t torment me for the rest of my life.”
What’s next in his life? Staley said he faces no imminent surgeries but acknowledged some procedures likely await down the road like most NFL veterans, although most never make it 13 years in the trenches like he did.
He’s had preliminary discussions about working with the 49ers in some capacity. Media organizations have reached out to gauge his interest. And, of course, he’s been busy fielding well wishes from former teammates.
Staley had a “special conversation” with Frank Gore, the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher and the standard bearer Staley tried to emulate since arriving as a 2007 first-round draft pick.
“To watch him work and how he approached every single day, it was special for me as a rookie, that this is what it takes to be a stud in the NFL,” Staley said. “It was just special to block for him for so long.”
Now blocking in his place will be seven-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams. The 49ers traded for him Sunday after Staley relayed his retirement commitment to coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch a couple days before the draft.
“I couldn’t be more excited for trent to be with the 49ers, knowing a player with his ability is going to take over that left side,” Staley said.
Remaining at right tackle is Mike McGlinchey, the 49ers’ 2018 top draft pick who became best friends with Staley through their offensive-line discussions and karaoke duets.
“I became best friends with this 35 year old that I wasn’t expecting him to treat me that way,” McGlinchey said.
McGlinchey’s admiration for Staley’ dated to his junior year at Philadelphia’s Penn Charter. He switched his jersey number to 74 as he transitioned from tight end to tackle. Once at Notre Dame, McGlinchey spent weeks studying Staley’s 49ers film, which was in the database because of Coach Kelly.
“To be the guy that generations of offensive linemen look to so they can learn things the right way, on film and in real life, that’s somebody to me that’s a Hall of Famer,” McGlinchey said.
“He affected 15 years worth of offensive linemen,” McGlinchey added. “When you turn on how a left tackle is supposed to play football in a complete game – not just the fancy pass-pro and a great athlete – Joe was the most complete offensive tackle of his generation and that is something that should be (enshrined) in the Hall of Fame.”
Staley recalled how the first time he visited McGlinchey’s San Jose home, he razzed him about a framed No. 74 jersey from McGlinchey’s days at Penn Charter High in Philly. Staley had no idea that McGlinchey indeed idolized him since switching his junior year from tight end to offensive tackle, a switch Staley made himself at Central Michigan.
“I was giving him crap, not even knowing. …. ‘Your hero is in your house. You wore my jersey number in high school.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I was nervous for you to see that.’ I was, ‘Oh, you’re serious? You really did. I didn’t understand all that stuff.
“There’s not a lot of guys in the NFL that choose an offensive lineman to be their favorite players. Mike is one of them. Because Mike’s a weird guy.”
McGlinchey is not alone. The 49ers Faithul is full of Staley-loving weirdos, too.
It’s been a love affair between Staley and the franchise dating to Feb. 28, 2006. The next day brought linebacker Patrick Willis’ first and favorite memory of Staley. They met at San Francisco International airport upon flying in as first-round draft picks; Willis (No. 11 overall) preceded Staley (No. 28) in the draft and then at SFO.
“He wasn’t too far behind me coming up the escalator at SFO,” Willis said. “I remember turning around, seeing him and I thought to myself, ‘Man, they made sure they got a guy who’s big enough I could go against in practice.’ Just seeing his presence, you could tell right there he was about business.”
The feeling was mutual.
“He was the first player I met coming off the plane and almost being in awe, I knew all about him,” Staley said. “I thought it was the coolest, being in the presence like that.”
Willis beat Staley to retirement by five years. Staley’s retirement plan took shape a month ago before getting finalized last week.
“Really ecxited that everything kind of worked out on all ends,” Staley said. “I’m happy with the decision I made for me and my family. I’m happy about the decision the Niners made for the franchise. And I can’t wait to watch what they do this upcoming year.”