Setting the (Red and Gold) Standard

“My dad and I watched them play on TV. He was a Niners fan, so I became a Niners fan,” San Nicolas explains of his fanship origins.

That was in 1981, the first year the 49ers won the Super Bowl. They would claim the championship title several more times during San Nicolas’s formative years, quickly establishing themselves as his all-time favorite NFL team.

“They won four times when I was growing up, so it's easy to like a team that's always winning, right?” says San Nicolas.

His loyalty to the red and gold carried on well into adulthood. When his favorite 49ers quarterback, Joe Montana, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, San Nicolas continued to follow his career. In college, he had the opportunity to watch Montana in action during a match against the Seattle Seahawks.

An even more memorable event occurred nearly two decades later when San Nicolas finally scored tickets to see the 49ers in person. He watched them on New Year’s Day challenge—and defeat—the Las Vegas Raiders in an electrifying overtime victory. For someone who spent years watching games on TV, seeing the team compete live was a special experience.

 

Devotion on Display

When it comes to Niners knowledge, San Nicolas is something of a walking compendium. He can recall important game dates, draft lore, and player statistics, from Hall of Famers like Steve Young and Jerry Rice to modern standouts like Nick Bosa and Brock Purdy.

But San Nicolas just doesn’t remember the greats; he also collects them. He has built a collection of 49ers memorabilia that will amaze even the most hardcore fans.

“Oh, man,” San Nicolas chuckles. “I don't keep a running list because I have thousands of pieces of memorabilia.”

The estimate is not an exaggeration. Whether it’s autographed jerseys, vintage trading cards, small-scale figurines, or everyday items like lanyards, water bottles, and even office supplies, if it has the 49ers logo on it, San Nicolas probably already owns it.

Among his prized pieces are several authentic Joe Montana rookie cards, many of which are professionally appraised to be worth a significant amount of money. The items’ value, however, is less in the price tag and more in the history they represent. San Nicolas also places greater meaning in rare finds that take research and a trained eye to scope out.

“I’m more proud of my pieces that nobody else has instead of stuff that’s mass-produced,” he says.

Meticulous searches through online marketplaces and auctions have yielded some one-of-a-kind pieces, such as an autographed football used by Jerry Rice in a Super Bowl and a voided personal check signed by Joe Montana.

For San Nicolas, these items are snippets of sports history that just can’t be replicated.

 

A Long Love of the Game

Massive memorabilia collection aside, San Nicolas’s connection to the 49ers and football is also highly personal. He played high school football for Father Duenas Memorial School and later for the University of Guam, where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. He played for an outside league as well, earning honors for his time on the field.

Additionally, San Nicolas has instructional experience under his belt. He returned to Father Duenas and coached their football team, helping the Friars secure multiple championship titles throughout his almost 15-year tenure.

San Nicolas continues to pay his love of the game forward at home. Just as his father sparked his passion for football, San Nicolas has done the same with his own children. Both his daughter Iana and son RJ share his allegiance to the Niners, and his son has even gotten into collecting sports memorabilia as well.

The rich array of experiences San Nicolas has amassed throughout the last four decades has only expanded his appreciation for the sport and his go-to team. His distinction as a superfan persists, and there is little doubt that his loyalty to the San Francisco 49ers will waver anytime soon.