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Maturation of Vernon Davis a credit to Singletary

January 17th, 2012 12:28 PM
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  • San-Francisco-49ers-head-coach-Jim-Harbaugh-left-celebrates-with-tight-end-Vernon-Davis-after-a-touchdown-against-the-Cleveland-Browns.-Mandatory-Credit-Kyle-Terada-US-PRESSWIRE
  • San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis runs with the ball against the New Orleans Saints after the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE
  • San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (left) celebrates with tight end Vernon Davis after a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

    • San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis has always had the talent to be an elite pass catching threat in the NFL, but did not always have the mentality for it. Once a first-round draft pick to due his size, hands, and freakish athletic ability, Davis was on the road to NFL bust-dom three years ago, when then-head coach Mike Singletary publicly humiliated him for his lack of effort, pulling him off the field and then telling the media that he wanted winners instead, a direct allusion to Davis’ immaturity. And while Singletary is no longer there, having been a supremely ineffective NFL head coach in most respects, he does deserve credit for turning Davis’ career around.

    Now a model player both on the field and off, Davis has blossomed in “Jim Harbaugh’s”: system despite the fact that the run-heavy aspect of it leaves him with fewer balls thrown in his direction than in years prior. And while the old Davis would have complained about the lack of attention, the now-six-year veteran understands that it’s about something bigger than his stats. As he told SI‘s Ann Killion:

    “It’s not about me,” he said after Saturday’s game. “It’s about the team, the team, the team. I just wait for my opportunities. I’m not worried about the Pro Bowl or the individual accolades. I’m here to help this team win…Everyone is waiting for me to complain this year about the opportunities, but I started telling myself that this game is bigger than you. This here is what matters most.”

    And of course, by waiting for those opportunities, Davis turned in the biggest game of his career in the most important game of his career on Saturday. His seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns was the best performance by any San Francisco receiver in postseason history not named Jerry Rice, and his incredible game-winning catch in double coverage with 14 seconds to go was the stuff of which legends are made.

    “Let’s go to Vernon here,” Harbaugh told Alex Smith before the play. “It’s either Vernon or nobody.”

    Once a problem child, Vernon Davis has grown into a big-time player, evidenced by his dismantling of the Saints. Credit the maturation to Mike Singletary’s tough love, writes Ann Killion.

    Read the original post from si.com

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