John Brodie, quarterback of Stanford, is shown in 1957.
A starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers throughout the 1960s and early ’70s, John Brodie was one of the first celebrity promoters of Scientology. When a nagging arm injury was unresponsive to treatment, Brodie found unexpected relief after just two auditing sessions with the Church. The 1970 NFL MVP claimed his pain completely disappeared, and the experience left him fully dedicated to Scientology’s teachings. However, Brodie eventually grew disenchanted with the religion after some friends were harassed or expelled following a power struggle with the organization’s leadership. “There were many in the church I felt were treated unfairly,” he told the Los Angeles Times when explaining why he ceased to support Scientology.