Vernon Davis News: Pro Sports Daily

Team upbeat despite three straight losses

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November 7

San Francisco Chronicle

"Tight end Vernon Davis said the attitude reflects the players' belief that they can compete with anybody, which the 49ers showed in close defeats at Houston and Indianapolis. "I credit it to the guys, the coaches, having a perspective," coach Mike Singletary said. "Sometimes you can make little improvements here and there that might not show up on the scoreboard. Sometimes it will hit on all cylinders and we'll go from there." Singletary hopes all cylinders are hitting Sunday when the 49ers play the Tennessee Titans at Candlestick Park, looking for their first victory in more than a month. "I think every game we play is going to be pivotal," Singletary said. None more so than for ..."

Fourth season of 49ers' Davis looks like a breakout year

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October 9

San Jose Mercury News

"Vernon Davis, in his fourth NFL season, might take some inspiration from the tight end on the other sideline Sunday when the 49ers face the Atlanta Falcons. Tony Gonzalez had a breakout year in his fourth season, too, shattering his previous career highs with 93 catches for 1,203 yards in 2000. The man who called the plays for Gonzalez that season is now pressing buttons for Davis. Jimmy Raye was the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator from 1998-2000. How does Raye view the clash of the tight ends? "There are some similarities,'' he said Thursday. "I think Vernon, if he continues to progress and play the way he has played, I think he can develop into an upper-echelon player at that ..."

Davis' landmark game

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September 28

San Francisco Chronicle

"On the occasion of his 43rd game in the NFL, tight end Vernon Davis had the most productive game of his career. In Sunday's crushing 27-24 loss to Minnesota, Davis tied his career high in receptions with seven and extended his best yardage total in a single game to 96. He also achieved a career-high with two touchdown catches, on 5- and 20-yard receptions. "Vernon's come a long way and he's doing a good job for us," quarterback Shaun Hill said. "You can see the work he put in in the offseason starting to pay off. He's a good weapon to have. He's very athletic, very strong. He's a playmaker." Davis, who is not shy in talking about Vernon Davis, agreed that this was his best game yet, but ..."

If not for Favre, Davis would have been hero

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September 28

San Jose Mercury News

"Vernon Davis has already transformed his image from petulant head-case to team captain. On Sunday, he added another new description: go-to guy. Davis had seven catches for a career-high 96 yards, including two touchdowns. The tight end's final grab was a 20-yard touchdown catch that gave the 49ers a lead midway through the fourth quarter. He would have been the game's hero, if only Brett Favre had retired. Instead, the 49ers will settle for signs of progress from Davis, who had the type of game the team expected when he was selected with the sixth pick in the 2006 draft. "I think it's all about being mature,'' Davis said. "It's about being accountable for where you need to be." Davis' ..."

Vernon Davis named a captain

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September 12

Sacramento Bee

"Nearly a year removed from being tossed from a game by his head coach, Vernon Davis has climbed back into Mike Singletary's good graces. How high has he climbed? Singletary on Friday announced Davis is one of six 49ers captains for the 2009 season. "I know he told me last year that that's something he wanted to strive to be," Singletary said. "And I felt that this year, just simply by what many of his teammates have said, comments the coaches have made about the maturity level that Vernon has shown, and the professionalism and the work ethic and all of those things, I'm very excited about him." The other captains are center Eric Heitmann, running back Michael Robinson, defensive end ..."

49ers' Singletary names Davis a captain

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September 12

San Jose Mercury News

"And so Vernon Davis and Mike Singletary can live happily ever after. Or at least through Week 1 of the regular season. If there were any lingering doubts that Davis would have trouble with his strong-minded coach after a stormy opening act, they were eclipsed Friday when Singletary named Davis as one of the 49ers' six team captains heading into Sunday's opener against the Arizona Cardinals. "It's nice to know that," Davis said. "It says I've matured, that coach really thinks a lot of me and he thinks I have a chance to be a leader on this team." The other captains — all season-long appointments — were linebackers Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes, defensive lineman Justin Smith, center Eric ..."

Vernon Davis emerges as leader in 49ers locker room

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September 10

San Jose Mercury News

"In identifying some of his locker room leaders on offense, Mike Singletary ran through a familiar list Wednesday. Shaun Hill. Isaac Bruce. Eric Heitmann. Vernon Davis. Wait a minute. Vernon Davis? The same player who once inspired an "I want winners!" rant and was banished to the sideline is now in a player to emulate? "I've noticed more confidence, more leadership, and I think better expectations in terms of who they are and what they can do," Singletary said, in explaining his selections. Davis, now in his fourth season, was happy to hear his name on the list. "That definitely means a lot, coming from a Hall of Fame player," he said. "He's always getting on me for everything, but I think ..."

49ers wait for Vernon Davis to reach his potential

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August 10

San Jose Mercury News

"During a 49ers practice last week, Shaun Hill hit Vernon Davis in stride with a pass. But the ball clanked off the tight end's hands and tumbled to the turf. Since it was supposed to be the final play of the drill, players began to disperse — until Coach Mike Singletary stopped them cold. "Run that play again," he bellowed. Then, directing his comments at Davis, Singletary yelled, "Come on, son, catch the ball. You have great hands." The do-over had no chance — defenders smothered the tight end and the pass fell incomplete — but Singletary's point was made: The 49ers want more out of Davis and they're going to keep pushing until they get it. In many ways, Davis remains as tantalizing as ..."

Moving Davis out of harm's way

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August 4

San Francisco Chronicle

"After seeing enough from Vernon Davis in the "nutcracker" drill Monday morning, coach Mike Singletary ordered the tight end to do something else, anything else, than bang heads with a defensive player. "That was all he needed," Singletary said. "You have to get him away from contact. I wanted him to do something else. Anything we can do to get him away from there." Davis initially looked confused at being ordered away from the drill but quickly found a camp aide to toss him passes while his teammates were banging away. Back in camp: Fullback Moran Norris, excused from camp to attend to personal business, arrived Sunday afternoon and practiced Monday."

49ers need to harness TE Davis' talent

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July 2

Sacramento Bee

"Pity the poor freshman tight end that walks into the Maryland weight room for first time. Looming above the rows of weight benches and stacks of iron plates are the names of the school's record holders, position by position, dating back to 1981. When it comes to Terrapin tight ends, nearly all of those records belong to Vernon Davis, and nearly all of them are out of reach. "He was one of the most gifted guys, if not the most gifted, we ever had here and he also had an incredible work ethic," said Maryland strength coach Dwight Galt, who watched Davis smash all of the records as a 217-pound freshman and then routinely break his own records every few months during the next three years. But ..."

Davis-Porter yapfest a subplot to inspired 49ers effort

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December 15

San Jose Mercury News

columnist Ann Killion

"Vernon Davis was, of course, absolutely certain. Certain he could have changed the outcome of Sunday's game. And you know what? In this case, Davis' supreme confidence wasn't misplaced. The game and the 49ers' modest winning streak were both lost in explosive fashion, as Miami held on for a 14-9 victory. On the 49ers' final play, linebacker Joey Porter beat Barry Sims to sack Shaun Hill. Porter was so excited by his lone standout play that he launched his helmet halfway to Key West and drew a flag. That's the kind of crazy act Davis might be expected to perform. A frustrated Davis was on the sideline watching. "I almost cried," he said. "If I was out there he wouldn't get that sack, I ..."

49ers tight end blocks out distraction

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December 15

Sacramento Bee

"Sunday's contest began with Joey Porter jawing at Vernon Davis during pregame warmups and ended with Porter throwing his helmet in jubilation after his game-clinching sack. The middle rounds of the bout, however, belonged to Davis, who seemed to win - handily - his one-on-one matchups against Porter, the Miami linebacker who entered the game as the league's sack leader. Davis noted that he was on the sideline on the 49ers' final offensive play when Porter blew past right tackle Barry Sims for his only sack of the game. Asked how Porter would have fared if he had been in for that play, Davis said, "It would have been just like it was the whole game. He would have got nothing." Heading into ..."

Davis keeps cool against Porter

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December 15

San Francisco Chronicle

"News flash: Vernon Davis kept his cool. Who knew he even had cool? A good 45 minutes before Sunday's kickoff, volatile Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter tried to incite the tempestuous tight end by going to where the 49ers were warming up and getting in Davis' grill. Davis did not bite. Though Porter stood facemask-to-facemask with him, Davis merely nodded his head, as if in agreement that indeed, "It's on." A number of Dolphins gathered around Porter but the situation didn't progress beyond standard macho posturing. "I can't tell you what he said," Davis said. "I was in my own zone. Excited, ready to go. He's the first guy that ever came at me like that. I liked it. I wish every guy did ..."

49ers' Davis basks in glow of great game

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December 9

Sacramento Bee

"There are two ways an NFL player can tell whether he's had a good game: His coach tells him how great he is, or his opponent tells him how much he stinks. Vernon Davis received both for his effort Sunday against the Jets. During his Monday news conference, coach Mike Singletary said Davis' blocking was the best he's ever seen by a tight end. "For him to be on a defensive end, linebacker - I don't care who it was," Singletary said. "He was on them, he was driving them, he was moving them. And it wasn't like they didn't know he was coming. It was very impressive." The 49ers' game plan was to wear down the vaunted Jets defensive ends and linebackers. They did just that behind Davis and an ..."

Davis in middle of the action, as usual

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November 17

Sacramento Bee

"Vernon Davis caught his second touchdown pass in as many games Sunday, and this time he wasn't hit with an illegal-celebration penalty. But that doesn't mean the 49ers' hot-headed tight end was free from controversy. For the third consecutive game, television cameras caught Davis in a compromising position, this time jawing with teammate DeShaun Foster after Foster lost a fumble in the fourth quarter. "Man, you guys see everything," coach Mike Singletary said when asked about the sideline rift between the tight end and running back. "You know what? All I can tell you is this - sometimes in a family you have disagreements." Foster made a quick exit from the locker room after filling in for ..."

49ers notes: Davis, Foster and some 'family' business

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November 17

San Jose Mercury News

"And, now, for the weekly Vernon Davis controversy"... TV cameras caught the 49ers' tempestuous tight end in a heated exchange with running back DeShaun Foster along the sideline Sunday. Foster had just lost a fumble midway through the fourth quarter. Davis approached him as he came off the field and said he told him, "You're better than that." Foster was in no mood to hear it and pointed an angry finger in Davis' direction before teammates intervened. "It was nothing at all,'' Davis said later. Davis said he has an agreement with Foster and Frank Gore to confront each other over mistakes. "We're family. That's how we push one another," Davis said. He said he told both running backs ..."

Davis lands in Singletary's doghouse

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October 27

Sacramento Bee

"Tight end Vernon Davis, who came tantalizingly close to landing in Mike Nolan's doghouse in previous seasons, is already deep inside Mike Singletary's. The 49ers' interim head coach sent a clear message to his team by sending the former first-round pick into the locker room at the end of the third quarter Sunday after Davis drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. Davis had just caught a seven-yard pass when, he said, Seattle safety Brian Russell started "talking trash." "I tapped his face mask, and then … I didn't say anything," Davis said. "We didn't exchange words or anything." Davis said he didn't think the gesture was a big deal. But the referee did and so did Singletary, who ..."

Vernon Davis just wonders what it's all about

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October 27

San Francisco Chronicle

"After getting tossed out of a game by his own coach, Vernon Davis said he didn't think he did anything wrong. Shaking his head in the locker room, the 49ers' tight end said, "Not in my head. I don't think I did anything wrong. But when the coach thinks I did something wrong, I gotta listen to him. He's the boss." Davis is no stranger to trouble - he is easily the team leader in practice-field fights and memorably had a swinging match with veteran guard Larry Allen in training camp in 2007. This time Davis apparently outdid himself. He immediately got on the wrong side of head coach Mike Singletary by drawing an unnecessary-roughness penalty by mockingly tapping Seahawks free safety Brian ..."

Conwell predicts big games for 49ers' Vernon Davis

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October 11

Contra Costa Times

"One the themes so far this season for the 49ers has been the production of tight end Vernon Davis - or lack of it. He has done more blocking than pass-catching, with just five receptions in five games. New offensive coordinator Mike Martz, though, insists "his time will come." Friday, Ernie Conwell agreed. "His day is going to come, and suddenly he'll break out with eight or 10 catches and two touchdowns, and people will say, 'Holy smokes, where has this guy been and why doesn't he do it every week?'"‰" So who is Conwell and why should you care what he thinks? The now-retired Conwell played 11 NFL seasons and was a tight end on "The Greatest Show on Turf" teams in St. Louis orchestrated by ..."

49ers tight end Davis attempts to block out the negatives

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October 10

San Jose Mercury News

"Upon arriving in the NFL in 2006, Vernon Davis said he envisioned himself as a play-making tight end along the lines of Antonio Gates. 49ers Coach Mike Nolan welcomed him aboard by saying, "We felt we not only got the best tight end in the draft, but we got the best wide receiver in the draft." Two-plus seasons later, Davis finds himself doing grunt work. The former No. 6 overall pick is making his reputation as a blocker, having all but vanished recently as a passing target. Heading into Sunday's home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Davis has just five catches in five games. He had zero catches against the New England Patriots last weekend and dropped the only pass that came his ..."

49ers tight end Davis explains outburst: 'It was just me being me'

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September 30

San Jose Mercury News

"Vernon Davis came up screaming at his own sideline after his only catch Sunday. The 49ers tight end gestured wildly and, in so many words, said he wanted more passes thrown his direction. "It was just me being me,'' Davis said Monday. Vernon being Vernon, however, had its consequences. Coach Mike Nolan yanked Davis off the field and told him to calm down. Davis never returned to the action over the final 6:20 of a 31-17 loss to New Orleans. Davis and his coach met again Monday. Nolan told him that overly emotional players are prone to mistakes. "Any player that's in that kind of mode, I don't think it's best to stay on the field,'' Nolan said. Davis said several times Monday that he ..."

Emotion got the better of tight end Davis

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September 30

San Francisco Chronicle

"Vernon Davis said Monday he wasn't screaming at the coaches to send more passes his way Sunday after he made his only catch. It only looked that way. "It was just me being me," he said. The tight end explained, "I was just fired up. I didn't say anything to the coaches. I just wanted more." Moments after Davis made his catch for a 19-yard gain with 6:20 left in the 31-17 loss to the Saints and followed it by pounding his chest and yelling loudly, he was benched for the rest of the game by coach Mike Nolan. Nolan said Monday he didn't know what Davis was saying at the time but said the benching wasn't punitive. "He's very emotional," Nolan said. "He was excited at the time. I don't know ..."

Davis' fit of excitement does not amuse Nolan

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September 29

San Jose Mercury News

"Tight end Vernon Davis managed just one catch, and managed to cause a dustup in doing so. He bounced up after his 19-yard grab in the fourth quarter and shouted toward the coaches on the 49ers' sideline. It did not go over well. "He got a little excited, yes he did, and I told him to sit down,'' Coach Mike Nolan told analyst Gary Plummer on the postgame radio show. Davis, always eager to be part of the game plan, was almost invisible during the 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. His lone catch came with 6 minutes, 20 seconds to play and the game already out of hand at 28-9. Davis had talked excitedly during the week about being more in sync with quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan. ..."

49ers tight end, quarterback have some catching up to do

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September 28

San Jose Mercury News

"It sounds so simple. "If I'm running full speed,'' Vernon Davis explained, "all J.T. has to do is throw it how he usually throws it and the ball is going to drop right into my hands." Piece of cake, right? Somehow, though, the connection between J.T. O'Sullivan and Davis remains a tangled web. It has been the story of Davis' career. He's wicked fast. He's scary strong. And yet things remain just a tad "... off. That's why the O'Sullivan and Davis stayed on the field long after the final horn of 49ers practice several times last week. In advance of today's game against the New Orleans Saints, they tried to shore up the lack of precision that robbed them of two big plays last week. "Just ..."

Davis expects to be among NFL's elite

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August 7

San Francisco Chronicle

"Vernon Davis considers himself an artist. The muscular 49ers tight end has gone from drawing Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh on his mom's walls as a tyke to selling an acrylic canvas of Bill Walsh during a player's auction at last year's Super Bowl. "It's a passion," said Davis, who majored in art studio at Maryland. "I do it every chance I can get. I like to do realistic paintings, like self-portraits." Now Davis is trying to bring his football career into sharp focus as he enters his third season. Tight ends coach Pete Hoener and Davis set goals early. This year, the plan is to get the 24-year-old Davis more involved in the offense. "We expect big things from him," Hoener said. "He ..."