NFL rebound leaders

<p>SANTA CLARA — Alex Smith and Vince Young, the top quarterbacks taken in the 2005 and ’06 drafts, are getting rare opportunities to re-invent themselves without changing teams.</p><p>The former franchise quarterbacks lost their starting jobs for differing reasons. Now, they’re back in the roles originally intended for them.</p><p>And when the 49ers and Tennessee Titans square off Sunday at Candlestick Park, it’ll be Smith and Young who lead their teams onto the field.</p><p>“I have much respect for Alex,” Young said Wednesday in a conference call with Bay Area reporters. “I saw him a while back and he always has inspiring words for me, and I give him the same inspiring words when I see him.</p><p>“I know what he was going through, and I’m pretty sure he knows what I was going through. We both were being very patient and just waiting for when Coach makes that move and when we get in there. We want to make the best of it.”</p><p>Both Smith and Young returned as NFL starters last week. They will definitely be in the spotlight in Sunday’s game.</p><p>“It’s really about what each of us can do for our team to help us win,” Smith said. “In the end, that’s all that matters. That’s all anybody will remember about this game.”</p><p>Young completed 15 of 18 passes for 125 yards, but running back Chris Johnson did most of the work in the Titans’ 30-13 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.</p><p>Meanwhile, Smith had an encouraging performance in the 49ers’ 18-14 loss to the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts.</p><p>“We want to do everything that we can to put Alex in the best situation to be successful, because it looks like he is developing very quickly into that quarterback that can be a special quarterback,” 49ers coach Mike Singletary said. “We are excited about that.”</p><p>Both Smith and Young originally left the starting lineup due to injuries. Smith sustained a separated throwing shoulder in 2007. He spent the entire season on injured reserve last year with a fracture to the same shoulder.</p><p>Smith lost the 49ers’ quarterback competition to Shaun Hill in training camp. But Smith has played well after Hill was benched at halftime Oct. 25, with the 49ers trailing the Houston Texans 21-0.</p><p>The Titans won their season opener last season with Young in the starting lineup, but he sustained a left knee injury that forced him out of the lineup for the next three games.</p><p>Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher decided to stick with veteran Kerry Collins, as the Titans won their first 10 games of the season. Young did not return to action until 86-year-old team owner Bud Adams made it known he wanted Young back in the starting lineup.</p><p>If there’s one thing Young said he learned while remaining on the sideline while Kerry Collins led the Titans to a 13-3 record a year ago, it’s patience.</p><p>“I definitely want to play, being the confident player that I am,” Young said. “I always want to do something to help out the team, but that’s what I was supposed to do — be a leader on the sideline and be the eyes for Kerry (Collins) on the sideline.</p><p>“I feel like it was challenging, but it helped me out a lot as well.”</p><p>Young is no stranger to winning. He led Texas to the national championship with a stirring victory over USC. Even while the level of his play in the NFL fluctuated, Young remained successful. He has a 19-11 regular-season record at quarterback. Smith enters Sunday’s game with an 11-20 mark.</p><p>“Every situation, especially for a quarterback, is all individually different,” Smith said. “I don’t think you can judge any two alike. Every guy walks into a different locker room with different pieces around him and different things in place, and you have to adjust to that.”</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.press</p><p>democrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco via e-mail at matt.maiocco@press</p><p>democrat.com.</p>