Journeys of Discovery: SF 49er drafted in 1960 with a $1,500 signing bonus

Len Rohde played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1960 through 1974. Rohde came to mind the other day and I recalled the interview we did at his home in Los Altos, California back in 2011. We decided to re-air his show as a Best-of-the-Best show, celebrating Journeys of Discovery’s 32 nd anniversary producing radio and digital media shows for NPR affiliate KCBX. Rohde, who died in 2017, grew up in Palatine, Illinois. Receiving a scholarship from Utah State University , he played football there as an offensive tackle in the late 1950s and graduated with an MVP and All Conference honors. Rohde was drafted shortly after graduation in 1960 by the San Francisco 49ers, signing a contract for $8,500, along with a $1,500 signing bonus. Rohde, like most of his teammates held offseason jobs. Rohde played for the 49ers for 15 years, hanging up his cleats at the conclusion of the 1974 season. Rohde was selected for the 1970 Pro Bowl game and was named to the SF 49ers' All Time Golden Era Team in