Left out: Southpaw quarterbacks nearly extinct

This is my December feature. Provo, Utah. Fall of 1980. BYU offensive coordinator Doug Scovil calls 18-year-old Steve Young into his office and breaks the bad news. “You’re not going to play quarterback here,” Scovil explains to the future Hall of Fame quarterback. “I don’t coach lefties. It ain’t happening.” Scovil suggests Young play safety instead. Scovil believes Eric Krzmarzick, a right-hander, is BYU’s quarterback of the future. Scovil becomes…

December 25, 2014
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49ers CEO’s comments hurting his own cause

This is my Wednesday column on Jed York. On second thought, Jed, don’t talk. Go ride a bike. Gardening is fine. There are so many things you can do. But, please, no more talking publicly. You’re making things worse with this Ray McDonald mess by making it all about you. You probably didn’t want to talk about the issue in the first place. I acknowledge that. You stayed silent for…

September 10, 2014
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Brent Jones: “I’m focused on where we’re going to get output offensively from our WR position.”

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Tuesday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: Will there be anything Scott Tolzien can tell the Packers that will make a difference? JONES: I think generally there could be a nugget or two. You know what he can do – and maybe they’ll change this up, but when you change stuff up that has been consistent, you kind of mess up your own team –…

September 3, 2013
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Brent Jones: “We got down there to the five and we just panicked.”

This is what Brent Jones said about the 49ers’ Super Bowl defeat Monday on KNBR. Q: What was the toughest part of that game to swallow for you? BRENT JONES: The toughest part about it was I thought they were completely unprepared to play the first half. I was really, really disappointed, especially how they had come out against Atlanta in the first half. You can talk all week about…

February 4, 2013
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Brent Jones says the 49ers will eat the Falcons alive

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. This is what he said about the 49ers’ upcoming matchup against the Falcons. Q: Are you worried about the Falcons? BRENT JONES: “I am feeling very confident. The Falcons are paper falcons. Let’s call them that. I think physically, the 49ers are going to intimidate.  I don’t think it’s going to be close in the physical matchup. “I think as far as mental…

January 15, 2013
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Brent Jones says the Packers will not be able to run on the 49ers defense

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said about 49ers upcoming matchup with the Packers. Q: Are you confident the 49ers will beat the Packers? BRENT JONES: This year there have been so many ups and downs, and there are weeks where I’m saying there’s no way this team’s going to lose, and there are weeks where I’m saying this team can’t beat anybody. That is usually…

January 8, 2013
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Brent Jones: “I’m hoping that we get the Packers.”

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Thursday afternoon about who he hopes the 49ers play in the second round of the playoffs. Here’s what he said. BRENT JONES: I think we’ll get the Packers and I think we match up pretty darn well against the Packers, unless Aaron Rodgers just goes nuts – and that, obviously, will be determined by how much pressure we can put on him. The team I’d…

January 4, 2013
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Brent Jones: “This team will not win the Super Bowl unless the defense carries them.”

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said. Q: On a 1-to-10 scale, how much of an alarm meter would you ring on Sunday night? BRENT JONES: I think it’s a 10. The thing that scares me the most is the defense. There have been four games this year – the Vikings game, the Giants game, the Patriots game and this game where we just flat-out got…

December 26, 2012
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Steve Young explains how to get Vernon Davis involved in the 49ers passing attack

Steve Young spoke on KNBR Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers’ use of Vernon Davis. Q: Should the 49ers do a better job getting Vernon Davis open and part of the game plan? YOUNG: I haven’t seen the explosiveness, and he’s an explosive player, so if part of this switch to Colin is to be more explosive then let’s get [Davis] out on the short motion. If…

December 13, 2012
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Brent Jones says 49ers need to create a package for LaMichael James and call more runs for Kaepernick

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said the 49ers have to do to make up for the loss of Kendall Hunter. Q: What do the 49ers do with Kendall Hunter out for the year? BRENT JONES: “That’s the thing. Frank carried the ball 23 times on Sunday, and he’s been more of a 17-to-18-carries type of guy. “Somebody’s going to have to step up. Is it…

December 5, 2012
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Brent Jones on Kaepernick: “When he walked on the field, he looked like the starting quarterback.”

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR this afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers quarterback controversy. Q: Based on what you saw last night, what direction do you the 49ers ought to go at quarterback? BRENT JONES: “I watched Colin Kaepernick all preseason, and it didn’t seem like he had taken it to the next level from last year. It wasn’t a demonstrative, ‘Yeah, I’m competing for the starting quarterback…

November 20, 2012
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An intimate look at Jim Harbaugh with Alex Smith at Pebble Beach

A friend of my dad’s had an inside look at Jim Harbaugh and Alex Smith at the AT&T golf at Pebble Beach last month. The Niners played the Giants on a Tuesday. Duane Kuiper caddied for Mike Krukow, Alex Smith caddied for Jim Harbaugh. Jerry Rice, Matt Cain, and Brent Jones played, too, among others. According to the observer, Harbaugh and Smith acted as if “they would be together for…

March 18, 2012
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Meeting Steve Young

This isn’t news, it’s the story of when I was seven-years-old and I met Steve Young. If you feel this is self indulgent, please read something else. If you have a meeting-a-49er story too, please share it in the comment section. It was 1995 and it was towards the beginning of the season after the Niners won the Super Bowl. Steve Young had thrown 6 touchdowns in the first Super…

August 20, 2011
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