Morning Report: 49ers Enter Final Week of Training Camp - 49ers.com - 49ers.com

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History of 49ers Camp: St. Mary's College

Training camp opened for the first time at St. Mary's College in Moraga on July 10, 1955 with a record-breaking 52 rookies and free agents. Among them were the club's first four draft picks—defensive back Dicky Moegle, tackle Frank Morze, running back Carroll Hardy and linebacker Matt Hazeltine.

Once the players took the field at St. Mary's, they noted a distinct change in the climate. Rather than the tree-lined field they knew at Menlo Park, they trained in the blistering heat of the Moraga Valley. Moegle, the 20-year-old rookie sensation from Rice, claimed to have dropped nine pounds during one afternoon of practice.

Despite the heat, Chico Norton, the 49ers equipment manager from 1955-1984, claimed St. Mary's was a well-equipped and spacious facility surrounded by undeveloped land.

"It was out in the boondocks in those days," Norton said. But the silent evenings gave way to several boisterous youth summer camps and school activities held on campus during the day.