Wednesday, August 18, 2004
The former Notre Dame standout was injured for much of last season.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Former Notre Dame quarterback Arnaz Battle is making a big impression on the San Francisco 49ers as a receiver and special-teams player.
"There was a reason he was a wishbone quarterback at Notre Dame," general manager Terry Donahue said. "The guy can do something with the football."
On Saturday night in the 49ers' preseason opener against Oakland, Battle returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown, forced a fumble on a kickoff and returned a kickoff 40 yards. On the punt return, Battle appeared to be stopped near midfield, but bounced away and eventually broke four tackles before weaving his way into the end zone.
"He has an innate ability to make plays," coach Dennis Erickson said. "He's very athletic and strong. He's got decent speed and he's a competitor."
Climbing the ladder
Battle also caught a short pass and turned it into a 16-yard gain, again displaying his burst and breakaway ability. Battle has moved into the fourth receiver role ahead of Rashaun Woods, the first-round draft pick slowed by hamstring problems.
Battle still is learning to play receiver. He was a quarterback in high school and became Notre Dame's starter as a junior before a broken wrist ended his season after two games. He then led the Irish in receiving as a senior.
Last year, after the 49ers drafted him in the sixth round, Battle's progress was hampered by a torn ligament in his left big toe. He was placed on injured reserve in December and eventually required surgery. He finished the season without a reception.
"I know I have a way to go to get where I want to be as a receiver," Battle said. "But I'm learning a lot. I had high hopes coming in last year, but I had to stay healthy to continue to learn the position. I have great receivers to learn from and I think I'm making progress now to be where I want to be."
Special player
He also is making progress on special teams. Battle led the 49ers in special teams tackles against the Raiders and is challenging incumbent Jimmy Williams for the regular job returning kicks.
Williams led the NFL with a 16.8-yard average returning punts in 2002, but he slipped to a 6.9-yard average last year. Erickson said Battle and Williams will share the return duties Saturday night in Chicago.
Battle is counting on his versatility to get him on the field as much as possible.
"I have great expectations for this year," he said. "You have to be a guy that's very athletic and can go down on special teams and cover and do a variety of things. I think the coaches have confidence in me that when I'm on the field, I'm going to be in the right position and I'm going to make plays."
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