San Francisco 49ers News

Jerry Rice tearfully accepts Hall of Fame honor
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February 7
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Jerry Rice always finishes his route. He did it forever as a 49ers wide receiver, and again in his brief time with the Raiders. It helped make him the greatest wide receiver of all time, and arguably the greatest NFL player, period. Rice wouldn't pull up short Saturday, not now that he's been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was going to answer the question about his legendary work ethic, no matter how many times he had to pinch the bridge of his nose and sniffle through his red-eyed tears. "It's something my parents instilled in me," Rice said before choking up, thinking of his deceased father who taught him to catch bricks, picturing his mother who welcomed anybody into their ..."
Jerry Rice at head of the class for Hall of Fame
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February 7
San Jose Mercury News
 
"When the words stopped coming, Jerry Rice used the most famous pair of hands in NFL history to wipe away tears. He was trying to talk about his parents. He wound up saying it all. Rice was so choked up talking about his father, Joe, and his mother, Eddie B., that his live television interview ground to a halt. Steve Young, who had joined Rice on stage, jumped in to break the silence. "It's the enormity of it all," Young said as Rice wept. Young really could have been describing the career of the former 49ers receiver, whose prodigious statistics and insatiable appetite for work are legendary. Saturday, it was the enormousness of the moment: Rice was selected to the Pro Football Hall of ..."
Rice's Hall pass arrives; Brown, Craig, Haley miss cut
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February 7
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Cam Inman
"Jerry Rice, the NFL's all-time leader with 208 touchdowns, found football's ultimate end zone Saturday. The former 49ers and Raiders receiver headlined a seven-member class selected for enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. OK, all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith is the co-headliner. But he because was one of the Dallas Cowboys' dynasty-keying triplets that pained so many 49ers fans, let's give a polite nod to his first-ballot induction and move on to the rest of those honored. Also invited to this summer's induction: Rickey Jackson (a long-time New Orleans Saints linebacker who played on the 1994 Niners' Super Bowl-winning team), Russ Grimm (the first "Hog" honored among the ..."
49ers legend Rice elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
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February 7
Sacramento Bee
 
"Watching the 1985 draft from his brother's apartment in Jackson, Miss., Jerry Rice figured his NFL career would begin with America's Team - the Cowboys. "I really thought it was going to be the Dallas Cowboys because they had the next pick," Rice said in a teleconference Saturday, two hours after he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and announced in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Bill Walsh and the 49ers also suspected the Cowboys were eyeing the little-known wide receiver from Mississippi Valley State. The 49ers coach had front-office accomplice John McVay work out a deal with the Patriots that gave the 49ers New England's No. 16 selection for the 49ers' first two draft picks. The ..."
Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith head Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010
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February 7
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith shared a lot of experiences during their dominant careers. Rice, the league's all-time leading receiver, and Smith, the all-time leading rusher, each won three Super Bowls. Saturday, they were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame together. And when the inevitable moment arrived, they shared tears when recalling how each was inspired by his father. "My father was a great running back out of Pensacola," Smith said, choking back tears. "We're sitting backstage, and my father said, 'Son, I'm so proud of you.' He said, 'I had dreamed of doing what you're doing. But your mother got sick, and I never did go to college. You're living my dream.' "And all I could ..."
Haley misses out on Hall call, but he's making progress
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February 7
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Rick Gosselin
"Charles Haley took an important first step in the Hall of Fame process Saturday. He was discussed. Haley became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2005 and advanced to the semifinals for four consecutive years. But that list of 25 semifinalists is pared each fall to 15 finalists - and for three consecutive years, Haley failed to make that cut. You are not a candidate for the Hall of Fame until you become a finalist. That puts you up for discussion by the full 44-member selection panel on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. If there's no discussion, there's no candidacy. Haley finally made the cut in 2010, but his first trip to the finals was a short one. He was one of the five men ..."
Hall of Fame will scratch Jerry Rice's five-year itch
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February 6
Oakland Tribune
 Cam Inman
"Jerry Rice's mandatory five-year wait is done. He will be invited into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today by what deservedly could be a unanimous vote. What an awkward five years they were. That wasn't the Jerry so many had grown to marvel. His myriad post-career appearances simply haven't seemed natural, not like him catching a pass on a slant pattern or deep sideline route. Perhaps it's a curse. He's typecast as a record-shattering football star, making it tough to see him as a wannabe television personality on reality shows, ballroom dance floors and sitcom cameos. Today he returns to his rightful spotlight as a true NFL legend. His receiving records, three Super Bowl rings and other ..."
Snapshot of a Hall of Famer: Jerry Rice simply outworked others
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February 6
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Two snapshots, one at hello and one at goodbye, demonstrate why Jerry Rice will be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame today in one of the least surprising announcements in sports history. Click! There's Rice as a 49ers rookie in 1985, and he's dropping footballs as if they're greased bowling balls. Rice flubs so many in one early-season game that Ronnie Lott silently vows to watch how the kid handles himself in the locker room. Lott finds Rice sitting alone, crying. "When I saw that, I knew we had something special," said Lott, a Hall of Fame defensive back for the 49ers. "It's the guys who don't care that you worry about." Click! There's Rice on the verge of retirement at age 42, ..."
Hall arrivals-to-be Emmitt Smith, Rice were in it for long haul
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February 6
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Tim Cowlishaw
"By their nature, Hall of Fame announcements are celebrations of the past. Rarely, if ever, do they honor a history so unmatched in record-setting achievements. While a dozen great players from the likes of pass rusher Charles Haley to pass catcher Tim Brown will be sweating it out to see if their names are called today, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice have no such worries. The game's all-time leading rusher and all-time leading receiver going into Canton together makes perfect sense. They represent the best of the NFL's last great rivalry, one we may not see again for another generation or more."
Rice getting head start on his route to Canton
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February 5
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Former 49ers great Jerry Rice couldn't wait. The Pro Football Hall of Fame panel won't elect the class of 2010 until Saturday, but the 49ers great went ahead and announced former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo as his presenter Thursday. Seeing as he's considered the greatest receiver of all time, Rice isn't exactly jumping his route to Canton. He's just getting a head start downfield for when the ball comes. "I don't take anything for granted," Rice said at his "Miami Rice" Super Bowl party at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. "I look at the Hall of Fame just like I looked at when I got drafted. I remember back in Mississippi, I was with my brother. I didn't throw a party or anything. My ..."
Former Niner returning to coach linemen
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February 5
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The 49ers on Thursday announced the hiring of Ray Brown as assistant offensive line coach under Mike Solari, reuniting the former guard with the team he played for from 1996 to 2001. "I had six great years here," Brown said. "I want to teach. I want to help guys get better because I know I have something to offer. I really think I can impact this team in a positive way." Brown, 47, spent 20 years as an offensive lineman in the NFL for the 49ers, Redskins, Lions and Cardinals. He's in the infancy of his coaching career, having worked as assistant offensive line coach in Buffalo the last two years and before that in 2006 as a special assistant in Washington. Brown said his first NFL game in ..."
NFL players preparing for 2011 lockout
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February 5
Boston Globe
 
"As collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL owners continue to drag, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expects the owners to lock out the players before the 2011 season. Chad Ochocinco, representing OCNN, asked the first question of a press conference this afternoon in which the NFLPA laid out their message. He asked Smith how worried he is about a lockout next season. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said, "it's a 14." Smith said he and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae have informed players to save 25 percent of their paychecks in order to prepare for a lockout. Mawae said negotiations for a CBA have been "frustrating" and moved ..."
Singletary allows aide to interview with Bears
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February 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"After losing offensive line coach Chris Foerster to the Washington Redskins in a lateral move, Mike Singletary said he would not allow any of his other assistants to speak to teams about making parallel moves. However, the 49ers coach gave permission to offensive quality control aide Shane Day to interview with the Chicago Bears for the position of quarterbacks coach under new offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Day worked under Martz with the 49ers in 2008. Day has been with the 49ers for three years in the entry-level position of quality control, in charge of inputting the offensive game plan and other clerical work."
Goldson switches agents
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February 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"By changing agents from Peter Schaffer to the high-profile Drew Rosenhaus, free safety Dashon Goldson is sending a message to the 49ers that he'll be looking for a contract significantly richer than the four-year, $2.8 deal he signed in 2007 when the club drafted him in the fourth round. In a breakout 2009 season in his first year as a starter, Goldson led the team in interceptions with four to go with three forced fumbles and two sacks. Goldson also had 94 tackles, tied for third most in the NFL among free safeties. "He's certainly one of the top players in the league at his position," Rosenhaus said. "He's one of the rising stars in the NFL. He's a big-play guy. One of the things I've ..."
49ers should go after McNabb
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January 31
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"Surprise! Alex Smith is suddenly the best quarterback in the NFC West, and it's not really up for debate. Roll that one around in your brain. Giggle if you must. Smack your head in amazement, as I'm guessing Mike Singletary and Jed York have done a few times themselves. Smith, the grand disappointment of last decade, is now king of the NFC West, not necessarily by proven performance, of course. Smith is it, unless you believe that Matt Hasselbeck and Marc Bulger will emerge from their plummets into bruised and aging QB irrelevance and that Matt Leinart isn't irrelevant by definition. By the way, Smith is on the upswing and is also seven years younger than Bulger, almost nine years younger ..."
Willis won't play in Pro Bowl
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January 30
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Patrick Willis, the 49ers' All-Pro linebacker, won't play in Sunday's Pro Bowl in Miami because of swelling in his right knee described as bursitis. It's not believed to be serious. Willis, in Miami practicing with his NFC teammates, felt discomfort in the knee on Thursday. He will be replaced by Carolina's Jon Beason. Willis has been selected to the Pro Bowl each of his three seasons, and, for the second time, he led the NFL in tackles."
49ers TE Vernon Davis miked up at Pro Bowl practice
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January 30
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Here's a peek at Vernon Davis on a practice field in South Florida, where the 49ers tight end is getting ready for his Pro Bowl debut. In this clip provided by the NFL, he jokes around with teammate Frank Gore, catches passes from Aaron Rodgers and Donovan McNabb and generally looks to be having a blast. He doesn't do much talking, but it's still an interesting glimpse of life on a Pro Bowl practice field. In other news … A minor knee injury will keep Patrick Willis from making his third consecutive Pro Bowl apperance. The 49ers linebacker bowed out today and will be replaced in the NFC lineup by the Carolina Panthers' Jon Beason Willis has right-knee bursitis, which will require no ..."
No Pro Bowl for 49ers' Patrick Willis
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January 30
San Jose Mercury News
 
"A minor knee injury will keep Patrick Willis from making his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance Sunday in South Florida. The 49ers linebacker bowed out Friday and will be replaced in the NFC lineup by the Carolina Panthers' Jon Beason Willis has right-knee bursitis, which will require no medical treatment beyond rest, a team spokesman said. He added that Willis would play if it were a regular-season game. Nate Breske, one of the 49ers' trainers, is on hand in Fort Lauderdale."
49ers QB Alex Smith to do Super Bowl gig for BBC
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January 29
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Alex Smith is getting a head start on the 49ers' international relations. The quarterback is heading for London to serve as a guest analyst for the British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC) on Super Bowl Sunday. His role as ambassador begins a few days earlier, when Smith will conduct a media tour in the days leading up to the showdown between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. Smith's appearance comes in advance of the 49ers' game against the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 31."
49ers' Justin Smith added to NFC's Pro Bowl roster
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January 27
San Jose Mercury News
 
"After his ninth season in the NFL, under-appreciated 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith is headed for his first Pro Bowl. Smith will replace injured Minnesota Vikings star Kevin Williams on the NFC roster for Sunday's game in Miami. Nicknamed "The Cowboy," Smith is coming off a season in which the 49ers credited him with a team-high 78 pressures and 52 quarterback hits. He also extended his streak of consecutive starts to 139 — by far the most among NFL defensive linemen. (Arizona's Darnell Dockett ranks second with 81)."
Ex-Punter Wittum dies of cancer
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January 27
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Former 49ers punter Tom Wittum, who died Friday of cancer at 60, was not one of the team's more active alums but he did make a point of attending games when the team played in the Midwest, his son Matt said. Mr. Wittum, a Northern Illinois University graduate, lived in Grayslake, Ill., and died in nearby Antioch. He had retired in 2008 as a teacher at Grayslake High School, where he taught life fitness and driver's education. Services were held Tuesday at the Chapel in Grayslake. "He followed them a lot," Matt Wittum said of his father's former team. "When they played in the Midwest, we went to the games and watched them. When they played at Minnesota in the early '90s, I got a chance to ..."
Niners could learn something from Super Bowl squads
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January 26
San Francisco Examiner
 columnist Glenn Dickey
"There was a clear message to 49ers coach Mike Singletary in the NFL conference championship games on Sunday: Big-time passing offenses win the big games. Peyton Manning carried the Indianapolis Colts on his back, and Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes in the New Orleans Saints' win. For the 49ers to get back into the playoff picture, Alex Smith must step up his game. That should be the No. 1 priority for Singletary and his coaches this spring and summer. In part, that means giving Smith and his receivers time to work together and get to know each other. That wasn't true last season. Michael Crabtree missed nearly half the season because of a contract holdout and, because he had missed ..."
49ers stadium supporters to rally Saturday
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January 23
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The campaign to approve an initiative aimed at building a stadium for the 49ers in Santa Clara will officially kick off Saturday with a rally. At least 500 people are expected to attend the noon to 2 p.m. rally at the Santa Clara Convention Center. It is open to Santa Clara residents who pre-registered, according to the Santa Clarans for Economic Progress/ Organizers said the rally will feature local entertainers, such as a retired police singing group called the Sparkletones, the Wilcox High School jazz band, Santa Clara youth cheerleaders and more. Niners alums and some current players have also been invited to attend, organizers said."
49ers need multidimensional threat like Bush, Harvin
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January 23
Sacramento Bee
 
"Mike Singletary is desperately seeking a return man. "Oh, it ranks very high," the 49ers' coach said Monday of his offseason shopping list. What Singletary and the 49ers really could use, however, is a return man who is more than a return man. That is, someone who also adds punch to the offense. Case in point: Sunday's NFC championship game, in which the two most explosive players, Percy Harvin and Reggie Bush, could be moved around the field like chess pieces. Harvin, a first-round draft pick in April, is questionable for the game because of migraine headaches. The Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year averaged 27.5 yards on kickoff returns, fourth in the NFL, with two ..."
49ers' 'Chief' coaching goal is to upgrade offense
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January 22
Sacramento Bee
 
"The joke around here in recent years has been that the 49ers have been trying to build "Ravens West" - a team that eschews the offensive elegance of the Bill Walsh era for a more Baltimore brutal, might-is-right approach. Lately, however, San Francisco is looking more like K.C.-by-the-Bay. The transformation began last year when Mike Singletary hired longtime Kansas City assistant Jimmy Raye to run the offense. It continued Monday when Singletary hired another former Chiefs assistant, Kurt Schottenheimer, to run the special teams. Thursday's news continued the trend. Singletary tapped a third longtime Chief, Mike Solari, to fix the offensive line, arguably the most dysfunctional of all the ..."
49ers shuffle offensive line coaches
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January 22
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Almost as quickly as they lost their offensive line coach to the Washington Redskins on Thursday, the 49ers found a replacement in Mike Solari, who held the same position with the Seattle Seahawks in 2008-09. Chris Foerster, San Francisco's line coach the last two seasons, was hired away by new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. Not to be without a line coach himself, coach Mike Singletary reached out to Solari, a former 49ers assistant, to handle his offensive line. From 1992-96 Solari coached tight ends and was an assistant offensive line coach for the 49ers. "When I was interviewing for a head coaching job around the league, (Solari) was my No. 1 guy (for offensive line coach)," Singletary ..."
49ers hire disciple of late Bobb McKittrick
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January 22
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Mike Solari faces an uphill battle when it comes to improving the 49ers' blocking up front. But the offensive line coach hired Thursday learned from one of the NFL's best. Solari served for several seasons as an assistant to the late Bobb McKittrick, the 49ers' legendary longtime offensive line coach. "He understood the blueprint of building a championship, the blueprint of building an offensive line," Solari said. The 49ers tapped Solari within hours of Chris Foerster's unexpected departure. Solari spent the previous two seasons as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive line coach. Foerster, the 49ers' offensive line coach for the past two seasons, took the same position Thursday with the ..."
San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore going to Pro Bowl
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January 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Frank Gore is headed for the Pro Bowl after all. Originally selected as an alternate, Gore was added to the squad Wednesday when St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson bowed out because of an injury. Gore, who rushed for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns, will be making his second Pro Bowl appearance. He also made it in 2006. This one has extra meaning for Gore, who will be playing in his hometown of Miami for the first time as a professional. Gore was a star at Coral Cables High School before going on to star at the University of Miami. The 49ers played at Miami during the 2008 season, but Gore was sidelined by an ankle injury."
Key for 49ers: Having Cardinals' Warner retire
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January 20
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Not all of the 49ers share the religious faith of their coach, Mike Singletary, but they might be leaning that way in the coming days. Kurt Warner's wife, Brenda, says the quarterback's decision on retirement will be "between Kurt and God." Warner's call will be as important to the 49ers as any of their own this offseason. They seem to own the Cardinals (winning both matchups this season), but the Cardinals own the division, and that's not going to change if Warner comes back and plays a full season without serious injury. Even the most loyal Alex Smith fans have to admit that when Warner has the Cardinals' offense in full gear, as it was in that wildly entertaining playoff win over Green ..."
49ers, Raiders should draft locally
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January 19
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Scott Ostler
"There are a million ways the 49ers and Raiders can go wrong in the next draft, although the Raiders have a really good chance to do something right, because of the law of averages. Here's some advice for the two local teams on acing the draft: Pick Jahvid Best and Toby Gerhart in the first round. I am aware that drafting the Local Hero can be folly. It can be a ruse to sucker fans into buying tickets, or it can be misplaced sentimentality. In this case, it would be insurance. There's a good chance Gerhart and Best will become decent-to-star players in the NFL, and if that happens somewhere else, woe unto the 49ers and Raiders (see: Aaron Rodgers and DeSean Jackson). Local love is OK if ..."
49ers hire Kurt Schottenheimer as special teams coordinator
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January 19
San Jose Mercury News
 
"While interviewing for the 49ers' special teams coordinator job, Kurt Schottenheimer turned the tables and asked coach Mike Singletary a question. "Mike, do we have a return guy?" he wondered. The answer, of course, is no. But Singletary hopes that Monday's hire is the first step toward boosting a 49ers return game that languished in 2009. Schottenheimer, a veteran of 22 seasons as an NFL assistant, takes over for Al Everest, whose contract was not renewed. Schottenheimer, 60, worked most recently in the NFL as Green Bay's secondary coach for three years before the Packers fired him, along with four other defensive assistants, after the 2008 season. Schottenheimer said he took 2009 off ..."
Wembley game classic case of carrot and stick
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January 16
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist John Cumpacker
"Trading Candlestick Park for Wembley Stadium means the 49ers will have one fewer home game in 2010 when they play the Denver Broncos in the famed London facility Oct. 31. That being Halloween, both teams will come equipped with their costumes of helmets and pads, but the fact this is a regular-season game means neither the 49ers nor Broncos will want to be masquerading as anything but football squads playing a meaningful game. "The 49ers' organization is excited to be part of the NFL's 2010 international schedule," 49ers President and CEO Jed York said Friday in a statement. "We support the league's initiative to bring NFL games to the international stage and are looking forward to playing ..."
Broncos headed to London for regular-season game on Halloween
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January 16
Denver Post
 
"The Broncos are headed to London. The NFL and the team announced Friday that the Broncos will play the San Francisco 49ers at London's Wembley Stadium on Oct. 31. It will be a home game for the 49ers, replacing a game between the two teams that would have been played in San Francisco. The London game will not affect the Broncos normal home schedule. The Halloween game, at Wembley Stadium, kicks off at 11 a.m. mountain time (5 p.m. in London). The game will air on CBS. It will mark the first time in more than 50 years that the Broncos will play a regular season game outside of the United States. The team has previously played in seven exhibition games in foreign countries, including Mexico, ..."
49ers seek special-teams coach in oddly quiet offseason
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January 15
Sacramento Bee
 
"In recent years, anyone who covers the 49ers in January has been as busy as a tax attorney in April. This year? Pins dropping and crickets chirping. Continuity has been the buzzword around team headquarters, and Mike Singletary is sticking with that theme. The only coaching shake-up so far has been on special teams, where Singletary said goodbye to one of the top five coordinators in the league, Al Everest, and hoped to land the No. 1 coordinator, Bobby April. The 49ers indeed will see April next season, but it'll be when they play the Eagles in London. After sitting down with Singletary on Tuesday, April decided to accept an offer from Philadelphia on Thursday. That means the ..."
Dolich out as his job is eliminated
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January 13
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"After two years as chief operating officer of the 49ers, Andy Dolich is leaving the club as that job title is eliminated in favor of a chief marketing officer. The organizational move was made Tuesday by team president Jed York, who assumed the role of chief executive officer. York said a national search for a CMO will begin immediately as the team continues to press for a new stadium in Santa Clara. Duties of the CMO will involve "optimizing sponsorship and corporate sales for the new stadium," according to York, who said Dolich will remain a senior adviser to him. Attempts to reach Dolich for comment were unsuccessful. Dolich had been with the 49ers for two years in charge of the ..."
49ers eliminate COO role
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January 13
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Andy Dolich is out after a two-year stint as the 49ers' chief operating officer. Team president Jed York announced Tuesday that the 49ers will eliminate the role of COO and create a new position for a chief marketing officer, with an eye toward corporate sponsorship for a new stadium. In an e-mail to 49ers staffers, York saluted Dolich's work, including praise for improving the game-day experience at Candlestick Park and improving customer service for season-ticket holders. "We wish Andy the best as he pursues other endeavors," York wrote."
49ers hire Jed York as their CEO
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January 13
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Andy Dolich is out after a two-year stint as the 49ers chief executive officer. Team president Jed York announced Tuesday that team would eliminate the role of COO and create a new position for a chief marketing officer, with an eye toward corporate sponsorship for a new stadium. In an e-mail to 49ers staffers, York saluted Dolich's work, including praise for improving the game-day experience at Candlestick Park and bettering customer service for season-ticket holders. "We wish Andy the best as he pursues other endeavors," York wrote."
Raiders, 49ers need to join party in QB-driven league
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January 10
Contra Costa Times
 
"Who invited Mark Sanchez, anyway? Perhaps the rookie quarterback is just playing up to his competition, and we're not talking about the Cincinnati Bengals, who were eliminated by the Jets on Saturday. Sanchez has a lot to live up to in what might be the most elite group of quarterbacks in NFL history You hope Alex Smith and JaMarcus Russell are watching closely. The last time a Bay Area quarterback had the kind of year we're seeing from this season's playoff signal-callers was in 2002 with Rich Gannon, and we know how that ended. The Raiders went to the Super Bowl and Gannon won the Most Valuable Player Award, throwing 26 touchdown passes with 10 interceptions, and completing 67.6 percent ..."
Smith's the man, unless better man comes along
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January 9
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"One constant about Mike Singletary in his stewardship of the 49ers is he doesn't want his players to feel that they have arrived, that they have it made. He wants everyone working, from the 53rd player on the roster to Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis. As brilliant as Willis is, Singletary says he can get better, thus putting the onus on the player. Along those lines, Singletary had some good news and some, well, not necessarily bad news for his quarterback: "I would say Alex Smith is the quarterback going forward," Singletary said in his season-ending news conference. "The thing I want you to understand is we're always trying to get better at that position. It does not mean we will not ..."
Jerry Rice, Tim Brown among finalists for NFL Hall of Fame
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January 9
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, the NFL's career receiving and rushing leaders, and former Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown are among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rice and Smith are considered virtual locks to be voted into the Hall on Feb. 6, the day before the Super Bowl. The Class of 2010 will be inducted in August in Canton, Ohio. Brown, Rice and Smith are the only first-year eligible players to make the final list. Former 49ers Roger Craig, Charles Haley, Richard Dent and linebacker Rickey Jackson also are among the finalists. Craig also played with the Raiders. Rice finished his career with 1,549 catches for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns. Rice, who joined the Raiders ..."
49ers' offense must evolve
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January 9
Sacramento Bee
 columnist Matthew Barrows
"Mike Singletary kicked off the 2009 training camp with a drill he called the "nutcracker." It was very simple. Two like-sized players - say, a linebacker and a fullback - crouched in a three-point stance across from each other. At the sound of a whistle, they tried to knock each other backward. It was strength vs. strength, mano a mano, survival of the feistiest. It was vintage Singletary. In discussing the drill back in August, Singletary noted that since neither player got a running start, it was "pretty foolproof" as far as injuries were concerned. Well, not exactly. At least three potential starters were nutcracker casualties, including star linebacker Patrick Willis, who injured his ..."
They went for it, came up short
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January 7
Sacramento Bee
 
"At the midpoint of the season, Mike Singletary was asked if he thought he was a conservative coach. He paused, looked the questioner in the eye and, in his best made-for-sound-bites voice, said this: "I have no problem with conservative. If you were to say I'm a conservative guy, that's great. I have no problems with exotic. If you were to say I am an exotic coach, that's fine. I have no problems with any other adjective you use. But, if you say that I am not a winning coach, then I have a problem." In the end, Singletary was not a winning coach. He wasn't a loser, either. Instead it was a ho-hum, up-and-down season for the 49ers' leader, who never lost the attention of his hard-working ..."
Everest is given the boot
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January 6
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Special-teams coordinator Al Everest became the first coach on Mike Singletary's staff to be let go when the 49ers' head coach decided Tuesday not to renew Everest's contract for 2010. Poor punt returns apparently led Singletary to let Everest go after three seasons as the 49ers' special-teams coach. The 49ers didn't find a competent punt returner after Allen Rossum was released early in the 2009 season and finished last in the NFL in the category. Everest's nadir came Dec. 6 in Seattle, when he called for a reverse on a punt return that ended in a fumble that the Seahawks recovered and quickly turned into a touchdown in their 20-17 win over San Francisco. That defeat effectively ended the ..."
Change on special teams
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January 6
San Jose Mercury News
 
"After three seasons as the 49ers special teams coordinator, Al Everest will not be retained, a team source confirmed Tuesday. Everest's contract was not renewed after the 49ers' return game struggled in 2009. The 49ers ranked last in the NFL in punt return and ranked 23rd in kickoff return yardage. Everest's departure was first reported by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat."
49ers' Smith, Raye get qualified vote of confidence
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January 5
Sacramento Bee
 columnist Matthew Barrows
"Alex Smith currently is the 49ers' starting quarterback and Jimmy Raye is the team's offensive coordinator, Mike Singletary asserted during an after-season news conference Monday. But the head coach also left himself some wiggle room to make changes at both positions. Singletary said he would spend the next few days meeting with players and coaches and that no changes would be made until those interviews have been completed. Smith threw for 222 yards in Sunday's season-finale win over St. Louis and finished with his highest passer rating in any of his 10 starts this season. Asked about Smith, Singletary called him the team's starting quarterback but used the qualifier "right now" on ..."
For 49ers, being average isn't progress
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January 5
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"As the New Year begins, let me pose a philosophical question. I believe it was first raised by long-ago NFL expert Socrates: Is it progress to be considered average? Yes, according to certain members of the 49ers, including Frank Gore, the metaphysical running back. "I've been here for five years," Gore said Sunday. "This is the first time we've had an even record. That's a plus." On the one hand, I can see his point. Not since 2002 have the 49ers been so officially ordinary. By defeating the Rams and finishing with an 8-8 record, the Scarlet Heroes of Yore ended a string of six straight losing seasons. On the other hand, I maintain that going 8-8 is definitely not progress for the 49ers. ..."
Few 49ers jobs are secure
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January 5
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"Mike Singletary, who usually cannot resist the Big Dramatic Over-Statement, got a bit blurry and spoke in careful conditional terms Monday. "Alex Smith is the starting quarterback right now," Singletary said. Yes, right now. But the 49ers finished their season Sunday and aren't actually playing again until next fall. There's a free-agent period and a draft coming up before then, I believe. "If we sign a quarterback this off-season, we'll see where it goes," Singletary said in his press conference to wrap up the franchise's seventh consecutive non-playoff season. Interesting. Not exactly a guarantee of anything. And what about the future of offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye? "Right now," ..."
Alex Smith, Jimmy Raye likely to return for 49ers
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January 5
San Jose Mercury News
 
"As the 49ers began searching for a better recipe, coach Mike Singletary indicated two key ingredients would likely remain the same. Alex Smith is in line to return as the starting quarterback, barring a dramatic development. And offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye earned a conditional vote of confidence despite finishing 27th in the NFL in total yards. Singletary stopped short of guaranteeing them jobs — or guaranteeing anybody anything— until he spent this week reviewing film and interviewing his players and staff. But he was supportive of both Smith and Raye on Monday during his end-of-season news conference, when Singletary provided his first extended look into 2010. "I don't think it's a ..."
Players want Franklin re-signed
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January 5
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"While packing up their belongings Monday at the 49ers' Santa Clara headquarters, some of the players lobbied strongly for the re-signing of nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, one of the team's few unrestricted free agents. "Oh man, I pray to God they keep Aubrayo," linebacker Patrick Willis said. "The coaches know where my heart is. I'd say he's the best nose (tackle) in the game. Nobody plays with better technique. Nobody knows the game better than he knows it." Willis led the league in tackles and gives Franklin a lot of the credit. "He keeps my head from getting busted on every play," Willis said. "I make a lot of plays because of those three guys up front, especially Aubrayo. He holds ..."
Singletary sizes up 49ers
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January 5
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"In his first full season as an NFL head coach, Mike Singletary learned something about the job, and himself, after guiding the 49ers to an 8-8 record. "I learned how hard it is to be consistent," he said Monday, a day after his team joined 19 others in the offseason. "I don't think it's hard to win, but I think it's very difficult to be consistent." That was true of Singletary and his team, as might be expected in a season of teeters and totters for the 49ers that finally came to rest at dead level. At times, the coach was so emotionally invested in games his team lost that he appeared overwrought. Asked the one game that stood out in his mind of the eight the 49ers lost, he quietly said, ..."