Thursday, December 31, 2009
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Vernon Davis knows that regardless of whether he catches another touchdown pass in San Francisco’s season finale Sunday to tie an NFL record, he has produced a year to remember. A breakout season to say the least.
He’s a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career, a month shy of his 26th birthday. And he will be a starter for the NFC squad in the Jan. 31 game at Miami.
All the accolades aside, Davis acknowledges he’d get a real kick out of finishing with more touchdown catches than New England star Randy Moss, who has 13.
“Just try to get another one, maybe two, stay ahead of him,” Davis said with a grin. “That’d be nice.”
With 12 TD receptions, Davis is one away from tying Antonio Gates’ NFL record by a tight end. It would seem he should get some chances to do it Sunday at St. Louis. Davis scored one touchdown in the season’s first meeting with the Rams, a 35-0 victory by the 49ers back on Oct. 4 at Candlestick Park.
“It’s been a tremendous season for me,” Davis said. “I’ve been getting a lot of opportunities, playing hard, doing everything I’ve got to do to be successful and just making plays and helping my team win.”
He has said all along he could have this type of year as long as he got the opportunities. It sure has helped his cause being a key figure in offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye’s tight-end friendly offense.
Davis has made huge strides this season both in his play and how he’s handled himself on the field. He even earned a captain tag from Coach Mike Singletary.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Davis was known as much for his volatile nature as his lack of production during his first three NFL seasons. He is finally living up to the hype that convinced San Francisco to select the speedy, athletic Davis with its top draft pick in 2006 at sixth overall out of Maryland.
“He’s just taken one step after the next and just continued to go in the right direction, starting from the end of last season,” Singletary said, “continuing to have the right mindset going forward, doing all the right things.”
Davis was a Pro Bowl alternate last season after making 31 receptions for 358 yards and two touchdowns, with his catches ranking third on the team.
He earned a reputation for fighting early in his career, even with teammates during training camp. He did it this year after saying such antics were behind him. Singletary sent him to the showers early during the coach’s debut in October 2008 against Seattle for the way Davis reacted to a personal foul penalty.
Playing for Singletary has helped Davis grow up — and he has repeatedly acknowledged that fact this year.