49ERS Rattay ready to seize starting quarterback spot

San Francisco's new starter faces a legacy burden.
By DANIEL BROWN
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
SAN FRANCISCO -- After the 49ers' first practice, quarterback Tim Rattay, showing speed that defied his injured left groin, chased down offensive coordinator Ted Tollner.
He grabbed the coach by the shirt and politely but firmly told him that a mere six snaps in seven-on-seven drills was not enough. Rattay wanted more.
"He knows what's at stake for him," Tollner said. "He's worked for five years to be an NFL starter, and the opportunity is sitting there for him. He doesn't want it to get away.
"Anybody with any sense knows that you don't want other guys getting snaps. That's how you grow. That's how you establish yourself."
Rattay's competitive instincts are understandable. Even though he has secured the starting job, and even though Coach Dennis Erickson and General Manager Terry Donahue have given him repeated enthusiastic endorsements, he enters camp with the thinnest resume in memory for a team thick in quarterback tradition.
Rattay, a seventh-round draft pick with three career starts, takes over for an organization that has sent a quarterback to the Pro Bowl 17 times in the past 23 seasons.
Glittering lineage
The glittering lineage stretches back to the second year of the franchise, 1951, when Y.A. Tittle was beginning his Hall of Fame career.
The quarterback family tree would grow to include another Hall of Famer (Joe Montana), another who will be soon (Steve Young) and another whose number was retired after his team-record 17 years of service (John Brodie).
In other words, fans in these parts are unaccustomed to seeing a lousy quarterback, and it's hard to imagine their patience lasting long if they do, as Rattay's predecessor would attest.
Jeff Garcia earned three consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl, but when he struggled through an erratic, injury-filled season a year ago, the boos were loud enough to rattle his headset.
It could happen again. If Rattay fails to establish himself quickly, even with a similarly untested supporting cast, the groundswell will begin for the 49ers to turn the job over to their highly regarded backup, Ken Dorsey.
For now, though, the starting spot is written in ink.
"It's all about opportunity, and this is Tim's time to get the chance," Donahue said. "He's clearly No.1."
In the least, Rattay's personality seems well suited to handling the assignment. He is outwardly calm and speaks with slow, even diction no matter the topic.
Asked about the pressure that comes with being an NFL starting quarterback, Rattay responded almost robotically.
"I just look at it as an opportunity to help the offense and help the team," he said. "Football is a team game, and the quarterback's job is to move the ball, whether that means handing off, dumping the ball or making a play."
Drafted in the final round in 2000, the former Louisiana Tech star spent the previous four seasons as Garcia's understudy. Rattay played in just eight games before last season, then appeared 11 times as Garcia battled a sprained ankle.
Impressive
The 49ers went 2-1 in his starts, and he impressed with his drop-back style, strong arm and quick reads on blitzes.
Rattay threw seven touchdown passes and just two interceptions, and his quarterback rating of 96.6 would have ranked second in the NFC if he had enough attempts to qualify.
Rattay's bosses anointed him the starter this season, rather than wait for a training camp showdown with Dorsey, because they liked the way he performed in 2003. They also liked the way he handled his long apprenticeship as he devoured the playbook and prepared for four years as though he, not Garcia, would be in the spotlight on Sunday.
"Tim understands the game. That's one of his strengths," Tollner said. "For a guy that hasn't played much he feels the game, and he knows what he's supposed to do. Now he needs the work, but mentally, he is good."
Donahue said: "There isn't anybody in the building who knows the system better than Tim."