Mike Wilson

Mike Wilson spent the 1980s as the 49ers third receiver, a reliable backup who garnered more catches in 1987 and 1988, when the Niners were transitioning from the Clark-Solomon era to the Rice-Taylor era. He went to Washington State, was chosen in the 1981 draft by the Cowboys, cut by Dallas, and signed on with the 49ers just in time to join the dynasty.

Looking back during the 1990 playoffs, Wilson said: “The Cowboys were on top at that time. The 49ers were not even contenders for the NFC West. I came here as a free agent and wasn’t even sure I would make the ballclub. My expectations were just to get the chance to play in the NFL and be like that cliche, the best I could be.
“It’s interesting the way things have turned out, isn’t it? The team has turned out to be a great team. I’ve had a great time. I’m enjoying this career and I have maybe a couple more years left in me and I hope to make the most of them.”

Wilson said of Seifert, in his first year as head coach: “We’ve stayed hungry. With Walsh stepping down as coach and Seifert stepping in, we wanted to prove that this is still a great team. We’re better focused and we’ve played better than we did after the other two Super Bowl wins. I think Seifert has definitely made it a point to keep this team focused in the right direction.
“I think when you get to this level, you have to be a self-motivator, but you still have to have somebody to keep you together and George has done a great job of that. We have great talent here, but we also have a great attitude.”

Mike stayed on with the 49ers through 1990. He coached at Stanford, with the Raiders, and at USC, and then with the Arizona Cardinals.

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