Frankie Albert

Biography

Frank Cullen Albert pioneered modern quarterback play as the first college T-formation signal-caller and a founding member of the San Francisco 49ers, earning recognition as the greatest left-handed quarterback ever to play the game. Born January 27, 1920 in Chicago, Albert moved as a youth to California where he attended Glendale High School before enrolling at Stanford University.

At Stanford, Albert studied under the T-formation innovator Clark Shaughnessy, becoming the first college quarterback to run the modern T-formation. He earned consensus All-American honors in 1940 and 1941, leading the 1940 "Wow Boys" to an undefeated 9-0 regular season, a 21-13 Rose Bowl victory over Nebraska,...