The former football and baseball star has an annual award named for himself and another 49ers standout.

The Perry/Yonamine Unity Award will recognize three models of extraordinary community leadership; a 49ers player who takes a dominant role in promoting team unity and serves as an example to his peers through exemplary involvement in the community; a youth football coach that demonstrates leadership in promoting both team unity and the importance of volunteerism in the community; and a local company that exhibits exceptional employee volunteerism that promotes unity in the community. The nomination process will be determined by the Club at a later date.

Courtesy San Francisco 49ers Wally Yonamine, seen here as a San Francisco 49ers running back in 1947, was the first player of Asian descent in team and professional football history.

All award winners will be honored at a 49ers home game at Monster Park during the 2007 season. "Joe and Wally are two members of the 49ers family who have demonstrated the power of unity to make a difference on the field and in the community," said 49ers Co-Owner John York.  "These remarkable men are an inspiration to future generations and a reminder for us all to never give up. It is only fitting that they are the namesake for this award." Running back Yonamine was born in 1929 in Maui, Hawaii. He joined the 49ers in 1947 as the first player of Asian descent in team and professional football history and stayed with the team only one season before an injury ended his football career. A two-sport star, Yonamine went on to play baseball for the Yomiuri Giants and Chunichi Dragons in Japan for 12 seasons. As an American athlete in Japan shortly after World War II, Yonamine experienced intolerance when he arrived in the country, but was able to unite his team and achieve great popularity due to his athletic performance.

Born in 1927 in Stevens Arkansas, fullback Joe Perry joined the 49ers in 1948 as the first African American player in team history and one of a handful in professional football at that time. During his time playing football, Perry was a target of significant discrimination when traveling to games in other cities. The 49ers organization and his teammates united behind him, allowing him to use his performance on the field to reverse racial intolerance and gain acceptance for African American athletes throughout the country. After two years in Baltimore, he returned to the 49ers in 1963 to play out the remainder of his career. During his 16 years playing, Perry rushed for 9,723 yards, second only to Jim Brown at the time of his retirement and became the first-ever player to rush for 1,000 yards two straight seasons (1953, 1954).