Drunken 49er Punches Elderly Man, Police Say, Then Loses His Job

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — An inebriated San Francisco 49er who tried to enter a room at the Fisherman's Wharf Marriott Hotel in San Francisco ended up in jail after punching a 70-year-old man in the face early Monday morning, according to police.

He also became an ex-49er.

Bruce Miller, who makes his living knocking people down, went to a room at the Marriott at about 2:45 a.m., knocked on the door, and was told to go away by the elderly man and his 29-year-old son who came out of a neighboring room, according to KTVU. Miller, who stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, then charged the young man, according to police, and punched the 70-year-old father when he tried to defend his son.

A bloodied Miller left the hotel, only to end up at a nearby Travelodge, where a manager found the football player vomiting in a stairwell, according to NBC Bay Area. The manager, Dinesh Shrestha, called police.

Both the 70-year-old man and his son were taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries, according to a KTVU report, citing sources who said the elderly man suffered broken bones in his face.

Miller, 29, was taken into custody and charged with two felony counts of criminal threats, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one felony count of elder abuse.

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Miller apparently tried to obtain a room at the Marriott earlier in the evening but was told none were available, according to KTVU.

Miller, a seventh-round draft pick, played for the 49ers for five years as a blocking fullback and occasional tight end. He wore No. 49 on his jersey. He caught 76 passes and scored four touchdowns.

In 2015, he was arrested on a spousal battery charge after he shoved his fiancee to the ground outside of a Santa Clara Posh Bagel and broke her cell phone. She eventually became his ex-fiancee. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor disturbing the peace charge.