We’re never going to forget Mike Singletary’s coaching debut in San Francisco last October. Mainly, because his pants fell off at halftime.
But also because of the very underrated postgame rant touched off by tight end Vernon Davis. That day, in a blowout loss to the Seahawks, Davis drew a 15-yard personal foul then, when approached on the sideline by Singletary about it, Davis tried to blow him off. Singletary sent Davis to the showers then raked him over the coals from the podium afterwards.
“I will not tolerate players that think it’s about them when it’s about the team,” Singletary said. “I would rather play with 10 people and get penalized...than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team.”
Davis has apparently sold out. Today, it was announced he was named one of the Niners captains for the 2009 season.
“I’m really excited about Vernon,” Singletary said in comments distributed by the team. “I think he exemplified a lot of those qualities that you have to have in order to be a leader. I know he told me last year that that’s something he wanted to strive to be and I felt that this year... Vernon has shown the professionalism, the work ethic and all those things.”
So good for Davis, the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft. He’s a guy who was getting stamped with the hard-to-shake “selfish bust” label and he took his career by the short and curlies and fixed it.
The Niners other captains this season are linebackers Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes, defensive end Justin Smith, center Eric Heitmann and running back Michael Robinson.
Passed over again? Shawne Merriman and Terrell Owens.