NINERS HOT READS
Mr. Smith meet Mr. Rodgers
Niners' quarterback Alex Smith.
JOHN BURGESS / PDPublished: Monday, November 16, 2009 at 7:43 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 16, 2009 at 7:43 p.m.
When Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers visited the 49ers a day apart in mid-April 2005, there did not seem to be many similarities in the two highly touted draft prospects.
Smith was humble and downplayed his expectations, while Rodgers demonstrated no shortage of self-confidence and made it clear he thought of himself as the No. 1 pick in the draft.
There haven’t been many parallels to draw from their first five NFL seasons, either.
Smith, selected with the No. 1 overall draft pick, found himself in the 49ers’ starting lineup — perhaps, reluctantly — after just four games.
Rodgers, meanwhile, plummeted to the No. 24 overall selection. He had to wait three full seasons for his shot as a starter when the Green Bay Packers finally decided Brett Favre did not fit into the organization’s plans.
Smith and Rodgers competed to become the No. 1 overall pick in 2005. On Sunday, they will oppose each other for the first time in a regular-season game, as the 49ers and Packers meet at Lambeau Field in a game with NFC playoff implications.
Rodgers will start his 25th consecutive game for the Packers after Favre’s departure, while Smith is trying to overcome shoulder injuries that virtually wiped out the 2007 and ’08 seasons to earn his long-term place with the 49ers. Smith will make his fourth start since replacing Shaun Hill at halftime of the 49ers’ Oct. 25 game against the Houston Texans.
On back-to-back days just a couple weeks before the 2005 draft, Smith and Rodgers visited with the 49ers and spoke to the media.
The 49ers had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, based on their 2-14 record in 2004. Team owner John York fired coach Dennis Erickson and general manager Terry Donahue after the season. The 49ers hired coach Mike Nolan, who selected Scot McCloughan as the team’s top personnel man.
Smith, undoubtedly aware of the dearth of talent on the 49ers at the time, spoke with a sense of realism about the task ahead of the organization.
“Obviously, this is a young team,” Smith said prior to joining the 49ers. “This is not something that’s going to be turned around right away. We’re not going to be winning Super Bowls next year, I don’t imagine, although we’d like to.”
Rodgers grew up in Chico and attended Cal. He was a 49ers fan who wore a Joe Montana shirt under his Cal uniform. He had a different approach to his possible future with the 49ers.
“With a brand new coach in, bringing the top pick in, I think the expectations are going to be high, and they should be,” Rodgers said. “And the Bay Area should expect this team to be a lot better next year.”
The 49ers finished with a 4-12 record in 2005. Smith started all 16 games in 2006, and the 49ers improved to 7-9.
When Smith met prior to the ’05 draft with reporters who cover the 49ers, he expressed a wait-and-see approach to the idea of his playing right away.
“That definitely depends on how well I’m doing coming into camp, how well the other quarterbacks are playing, and how well I’m picking up the system,” Smith said. “So it’s tough to say. I feel like I can step in right away and if all goes well, play early.”
Rodgers voiced no such hesitancy. There was little doubt he expected the 49ers to make him the No. 1 overall pick.
“I think I’m a guy you can build around,” Rodgers said. “I think my leadership style, plus my skills, make me the kind of guy you can stick in a situation and then bring guys in to make me better and make the team better.”
Smith and Rodgers have one thing in common in their NFL careers, though. Neither has taken his team to the playoffs. Rodgers had an outstanding first season as a starter in 2008. He threw 28 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and compiled a passer rating of 93.8. But the Packers finished with a 6-10 record.
The Packers (5-4) and 49ers (4-5) find themselves in the playoff mix this season. The Packers are tied with Philadelphia, Atlanta and the New York Giants atop the wild-card mix.
The 49ers are one back behind the pace-setters in the wild-card race. With seven games remaining, the 49ers must finish strong to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They are two games behind the Arizona Cardinals, who lead the NFC West with a 6-3 record.
For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.
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