Dan Fouts and 9 other greatest NFL careers in Oregon football history
By Sam Fariss
. player. 42. . Fred Quillan. Center, 1978-1987. Fred Quillan. 8. . Fred Quillan
Fred Quillan was another star player that the San Francisco 49ers drafted from UO. Playing 10 seasons with the Niners, Quillan collected two Super Bowl Rings and was a two-time Pro Bowler.
An Oregon native, Quillan was drafted by San Francisco in the seventh round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He is regarded as one of the key players in head coach Bill Walsh’s Super Bowl wins.
With the Niners, Quillan marched to victories in the 1982 Super Bowl XVI and the 1985 Super Bowl XIX – alongside Russ Francis.
During his time in San Francisco, Quillan protected the likes of future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.
Eventually, other players bumped Quillan out of the starting center position and he spent his final NFL year on the San Diego Chargers’ practice squad.
Quillan played in 143 games for San Francisco, starting in 129 of them. He has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as of 2023.