SANTA CLARA – Alex Smith spoke in the 49ers’ media tent after Jim Harbaugh on Thursday. Smith answered questions about Ted Ginn Jr., Leonard Davis and Mike Singletary, among other topics. Here’s a transcript, courtesy of the 49ers.
Guys are predicting in the preseason that you are not going to do a lot of running, establishing a running game, is that going to be the same story this year?
“No idea, asking the wrong guy. I mean we’ll see. No idea. I think it’s going to depend on the flow of the game.”
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said he’s not sure exactly how much you guys are going to play as starters, but what kind of goals do you have going into the preseason opener?
“To go out there and execute. I don’t know how long I’m going to play, when I am going to get pulled out. I’m going to go out there and try to execute each and every single play I get, make the most of the opportunity and keep playing until they pull me out.”
Rather than rehash what happened last year in New Orleans in the exhibition opener, could that game at least show you that anything might be possible in an exhibition opener?
“For sure, wear your mouth piece in the preseason. That was a bad decision last year. Be ready for anything, it’s football. The whistle blows out here at practice and as quarterbacks you don’t get touched. This is real ball and it’s been, for all of us, a while since we’ve had that and it’ll be fun. It’s great to get the practice though in these preseason games before the regular season.”
Do the coaches tell you how much you will play or do they like to just let the game flow?
“I think they like to just keep us on our toes. You start telling guys, ‘Hey you are only going to get this amount of plays.’ All of a sudden they start counting plays. I think just go out there and execute each and every single one and play your best ball. That’s it. I think all of a sudden, like I said, you start telling a guy, ‘Hey you get this many plays,’ and he starts counting them waiting to get out.”
You didn’t have your mouth piece in last year?
“Last year I didn’t wear one in that opener. I did after that.”
Why was that?
“Preseason, I don’t know, I just hadn’t worn it yet and it had been so long. We don’t get hit in camp like I said, so not necessarily a reason.”
Did you put one in after the first couple plays?
“No.”
Was any dental work required after that?
“No, nothing like that. It just helps.”
What have you seen from WR Ted Ginn Jr. this training camp? What stands out for him?
“I just think he looks really sharp. He’s got the speed. Everybody knows that. I really feel like he just continues to work on the little things, the little things of being a receiver, really precise route running so far in camp, making a lot of plays with the ball in the air. He’s made a lot of tough catches. Coming back to the football, those are the things that I see. And obviously you combine that with his speed, I feel like he’s had a great camp so far.”
You have a couple of new targets in WRs Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. Are you looking to establish a connection in the preseason?
“To get the work, for sure. To just be out there on the football field, like I said, going against someone else. When you’re going against our defense you’re seeing the same looks a lot of times, how they’re playing us. Now all of a sudden we’re going against somebody new and you have the unknown factor. You’re going to step out there and you don’t know what they’re going to do, how they’re going to play you. You kind of have to make those adjustments a little bit on the fly. Sometimes you have to go through it. You’ve got a little bit of trial and error. So, it’ll be good to go through game situations and work through those things.”
Have you been to Candlestick Park since the NFC Championship game?
“I have not, no. It’ll be the first time back.”
Have you driven by it?
“Yeah. Of course.”
What do you think as you drive by it?
“I mean it’s The Stick. It’s such a unique place, so much history there. Obviously such a great run last year. For me the playoff games, hosting the home playoff games was really special. Just a lot of fun.”
G Leonard Davis said even as a seasoned veteran he needs this preseason to work with this offense. What is it like to work with him?
“There’s many guys that have played as long as he has that have a lot of egos, especially when it comes to preseason. A guy that’s been the starter and been to Pro Bowls and all of a sudden he’s not in that role anymore, it’s hard for them to handle that. He’s a guy I really feel like he’s checked his ego and just come to work every single day, no matter what’s asked of him. Hey, with this group, hey, doing this, whatever it is, it seems like he’s willing and wants to jump in there and get the reps and take advantage of it. He’s been a great addition.”
Are you excited to see the backups that are fighting for jobs?
“Absolutely, no question. All those guys work really hard and put a lot of time in. It’s a big deal for them, preseason. There’s a lot on the line, like there is for all of us, but obviously for them it’s a chance to go out there and be real football. Like I said, the whistles aren’t blowing early. Plays are going to continue on. So I’m excited, excited to see them all play.”
What will your role be after you come out of the game?
“Whatever I can do to help and be there. We’re a pretty tight group. We’ve got a bunch of good guys. No one’s selfish. If I do see anything from the sidelines I think might help, be there when they come off to the sideline.”
Will you be sending in signals from the sideline?
“Signaling like what? Secrets? No, I stay into the game. I feel like it’s your job to stay into the game. As starters once you come out, those young guys and the guys going in after you have earned that. To stay in the game and to be there, I expect that from them. When I’m playing, I’m expecting those watch and if I come off, anything they’re seeing, a guy watching the pocket, a guy watching the defense, no question when I’m on the sideline I’m going to do the same.”
What was your relationship with former 49ers head coach and current Vikings defensive assistant coach Mike Singletary? Will you say hi to him?
“Yeah, if we see him. I’m getting ready to play a game. I’m not thinking about seeing anybody or anything like that. I’m going to get ready to play a game. But our relationship was fine.”
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Got a drinking game for every Alex Smith Press Conference. Every time he says, “Absolutely, no question.” you take a shot…
and “for sure” too ..lol
LOL! I brought the “for sure” one up earlier today. We could be wasted after one of his patented, “for sure, for sure, absolutely no question…” responses. : )
lol how about Kobe and his damn…..Extremely phrase. Drives me nuts. lol
Dwight in LA! 49ers on the field! Who’s got it better…?
The phrase that drove me crazy was this one from Nolan: ” Hindsight is 20/20.” Man, it’s still mind-numbing.
The really annoying one was Dingleberry saying “I have to look at the tape.”
That’s a close second for me. But Nolan’s phrase is still king of annoyances. I honestly if ate something he knew that he was allergic to, then asked why he ate it even though he knew the consequences, he would look that person right in the eye and like an idiot say, “Hindsight is 20/20.” This would prompt the poor soul who asked to go jump off the highest cliff he could find just to never hear that phrase from Nolan ever again. Ok. Rant over.
…honestly believe if Nolan ate…
This phone is a pain in the &$@.
HA!
You’re going to be POLUTED in a matter of minutes then!
I’m not sure whether or not I should be optimistic about Ted Ginn’s WR potential or not. I’ve been pretty down on him in the past as a WR (as have others). He’s A+ as a return specialist, but as a WR he just couldn’t put it all together. Maybe i’m drinking the kool-aide, but after all the training camp fluff pieces I’m starting to have hope that something clicked for him and he can actually contribute as a WR. But then I remember how he usually plays well in the offseason when he is not scared of getting hit. Hopefully the weight he put on will give him some extra courage but I just don’t know if you can gain the kind of attitude it takes this far into your life as a football player.
Why isn’t Moss starting? I think Moss has to at least or deserves (especially after all the glowing reports of his play in camp) to start. This is a bit of a slap in the face. JH, is just using another head trick and probably sending Moss a message. Crabtree hurts himself again in camp and Ted Ginn Jr. – our starter? After all we did to up-grade from last year – this already smells like last year. But, hey – I’m just a stupid fan. However, that makes me smarter than those in the media asking Harbaugh those idiotic questions.
Wait, now I get it – Moss isn’t starting because he has to be there for CK… probably to hold his hand. I think Colin is going to need all the help he can get…one or two int’s and I think we see JJ.
Tolzien and Johnson are breathing down Kaepernick’s neck.
And now we have a Colin hater. Yeesh.
MWN, every player has someone who’s on his case. If the fans had their collective say, the only remaining 49ers would be Aldon and Justin Smith and Patrick Willis. Actually not Aldon, judging from last year’s draft reaction he would have been gone before he ever played a down.
Way to stay positive about K-Gun
Ahhh….
This just in….It’s Pre-Season!
I’m sure there will be mistakes made by alot of Players seeing it’s the 1st game of the season.
Wouldnt read anything into Ginn starting. One thing Moss doesnt need many reps to get where he needs to get to. Could be that if Ginn is to make the team he has to be able to play good WR along with KR and PR and this is his chance to play with the 1s. Could be they want Moss in when CK is QB. Could be Ginn is the best of the lot. Could be Harbaugh is just messing with everyones minds. Could be a reward for such a great camp. Eh, It would be a major surprise if Ginn is the starter for the first game.
Ginn may be starting so they can showcase him for a trade if the other punt returners are doing well. 49ers seem to be deep at WR and punt returner.
Did you watch the championship game?? If you did you wouldn’t be talking about trading Ginn away.
My mind boggles at the stupidity of the questions above…
If you cant figure out that the questions were intended to be stupid then your mind is most definitly boggled.
Highly doubtful the were “intended” to be stupid. they were just… ka-chin! stoopid.
The questions get ridiculous because nobody will answer the real ones. There’s only so many times you can listen to a player or Coach say “Well we’re just trying to get better everyday.” League rules state the Coach and players have to be available for a certain amount of time and this is when you see some weird questions come out because there’s nothing left to ask about; that the Coaches or players will answer anyway.
As long as everyone comes out of the game healthy, I won’t be concerned with the outcome.
Yep
Just play hard & stay healthy
What a bunch of stupid questions. ” Do you drive by Candlestick?” Please!
As if he’s a criminal returning to the scene of the crime.
For the record, I didn’t ask any of these. I’ll label mine in the future.
Grant, you just demonstrated wisdom beyond your years.
Madden 13 loves Brandon Jacobs. It gives him an 81-out-of-100 ranking, second-best of the Niners RBs. They also give Jacobs a 97 “trucking” rating, third-best in the league behind Michael Turner and Marshawn Lynch who are 98s.
Madden 13 still loves Frank Gore, too. They only rank six RBs in the NFL ahead of him – Rice, McCoy, Forte, Peterson, Foster and Jones-Drew.
How about the ever popular Alex Smith?
I don’t know. The running back rankings leaked on twitter. I think the game comes out in a few days.
Thanks, Grant. I’m 6 seasons into my Madden 12 and am trying to get Gore ahead of Walter Payton on the all time rushing list. When winter is 8 months a year up here I have lots of time to sit in the basement and do nothing. Kinda sad. Really looking forward to listening to the game tonight.
…looking forward to 13……Alex should be between 85-100……. the team overall should be between 90-100…….
…. this should be the best 49er team on madden since JR, SY, TO where on the team……really excited…
Maybe the best ranked since Tecmo bowl.
I don’t think that the starting line-up for pre-season game has a whole lot of bearing on the line-up regular season games. The coaches may be rewarding players like Ginn for excellent training camp work. In TC, the coaching staff is addressing points for improvement for each player and they want to see if their effort carries into the game. It’s amusing how the coaches ignore the opposition and pretty much focus on how their own players are executing the fundamentals and how well they are communicating with each other. No game-planning, all vanilla — but necessary fodder for football-deprived fans.
Quite an endorsement from AS. “Yeah, if we see him.”
I think Alex Smith would go out of his way to avoid Singletary.
I wonder if Singletary will have his Omega stop watch. I still chuckle on why he needs to know the timing of a play, or was it just a check on the huddle break, since his teams were penalized so many times for delay of game. I want winners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Vikings will be one of the worst teams in NFL in 2012, feel sorry for Adrian Petersen, 3 runs up the middle and punt.
You see how bad it can be? A lot of folks bristle when guys like Grant put the spurs to Harbaugh, AD, or anyone else. God, look how bad it would be if news organizations heeded the calls of many to put Grant’s head on a spike! Grant, can’t wait for the season start and see how you mix it up with all these guys on a daily basis.
I agree that Pre season Starting lineups are meaningless for the most part. When u really think about it so are results. Im excited to see how the individual players will perform, especcialy the new additions.
Some on here said “just wait till JH names the starters” and now he has
“Ted Ginn is starting on Friday”
Let the blog arguments begin anew haha