49ers receiver Isaac Bruce quietly does his job

<p>SANTA CLARA — In a time when self-promoting, diva-like behavior seems to be the rule among NFL wide receivers, veteran Isaac Bruce is oddly out of place.</p><p>Bruce is quiet, humble and not consumed with self-promotion. He often appears aloof, but those close to him maintain he has a warm personality, good sense of humor and, most certainly, is not rude.</p><p>“If I don’t have anything to add to the conversation or the situation, I prefer to keep quiet,” Bruce said.</p><p>Bruce is focused and driven. He keeps his emotions in check, and he seems to be unflappable on the field.</p><p>“When he goes out there, he’s always so calm,” 49ers receiver Arnaz Battle said. “It’s like he hears elevator music the whole time.”</p><p>While the elevator of his NFL career might be descending, Bruce still has a lot to offer the 49ers and their corps of young wideouts.</p><p>Bruce, who ranks second all-time in league history behind Jerry Rice with 14,944 career receiving yards, led the 49ers last season with 61 catches for 835 yards and seven touchdowns. And after contemplating retirement for the first several months of the offseason, he decided to return to the club to play the final year of his two-year contract.</p><p>When Bruce was held out of most of Monday’s practices after sustaining a poke to the eye, it was the first time he did not take part in a full practice this summer. In a crowded field of receivers, Bruce has managed to separate himself with his polished route-running and steady play through the first 10 days of workouts.</p><p>“I believe this is my best camp ever, in 16 years,” he said. “I actually started thinking that before camp started, so what’s happening on the field is what I was thinking. I decided to have my best camp ever, and I got my mind right for it. And that’s what’s happening.”</p><p>Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, getting his first chance to watch Bruce up close, is impressed with his quickness, route-running and hand/eye coordination. Bruce is the only receiver in camp who has a roster spot guaranteed, Raye said.</p><p>“He’s a true professional guy,” Raye said. “He comes to work and hasn’t asked for any quarter since he’s been here. He’s put on his pads and come out and gone to work.”</p><p>Bruce rarely practiced both sessions a year ago, and he was held out of most of the exhibition season after coming to the 49ers after 14 seasons with the Rams organization. But Bruce is getting no shortage of work this summer. He has taken part in coach Mike Singletary’s “nutcracker” drill, in which players line up against each other and drive forward, as well as tackling exercises.</p><p>“I believe those drills are what football players do,” Bruce said. “And I consider myself a football player.”</p><p>Bruce says the 49ers are paying him to play football — not to serve as a mentor for the young receivers. Bruce often stands apart from his teammates, but he is more than willing to share his insights to those who approach him.</p><p>“This is a great opportunity to get to play with him,” 49ers first-year receiver Mark Bradford said. “He sets a great example with what he does. He’s a great guy, and if I have a question for him, he’s going to do anything he can to help me.”</p><p>Bradford said Bruce has a wealth of knowledge about what route techniques can be used against different defenses. It’s also those play-specific insights that quarterback Shaun Hill said he gleans from Bruce.</p><p>“We have an open line of communication, and we always talk about what we saw on a certain play,” Hill said. “I’ve never hesitated to approach him for his input.”</p><p>And Bruce isn’t afraid to approach others for input, either.</p><p>After receivers coach Jerry Sullivan recently instructed his group on what he wanted to see from them on a certain route, Bruce appeared eager to continue the discussion in greater detail.</p><p>“I’m always open-minded, and my coach does a very good job as to the little things, the small details,” Bruce said. “Those are the things I can use in a game. He can teach me things that I may not know.”</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com</p>