Vernon Davis: ‘I’m a Team Guy’

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

On his blog today, San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis posted a response to the stern verbal reprimand he received from his new head coach, Mike Singeltary, after Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks:

“I spoke to Coach Singletary today. We talked briefly. I didn’t really say much to him, I pretty much just listened to what he had to say. I saw the point he was trying to make as far as on the field. He pretty much told me I’ve got to be aware of what’s going on, on the field. If someone says something to me, I can’t let it bother me. I have got to be bigger than that. I agree. I shouldn’t have retaliated after the guy said what he said. I should have just moved on and tried to be the bigger man.

“One thing about me, when I get heated, I just want to be to myself. I didn’t really hear Coach Singletary call me on sideline. I didn’t really hear him calling me at the time. I was just in another world because I had everybody else saying something to me. I didn’t really hear anybody else talking. I didn’t say anything to coach. I pretty much just listened to Coach Singletary said when he approached me. He told me to sit down and I sat down, and he told me to go inside and I went inside.

“I was asked today by the media if Coach Singletary and I could work together. Yeah, I believe we can make it work. Coach Singletary, he’s a coach that really wants to win. He’s excited and this is his first time having a big job like this so he has to get comfortable, and we have to get comfortable with each other, I think he’s going to do a good job.

“I know that I’m a team guy. My teammates know it. I love my teammates, I love the coaches. I think that they’re doing a good job around here, and I would never do anything to hurt my teammates or put them in any kind of trouble. Coach Singletary always preaches we have to stay together and he’s right, team first. It’s about the team, it ain’t about me, it ain’t about the coaches, it ain’t about individuals. It’s about the team. When you’re playing this game, especially where we’re at right now. We’re at a point right now where we need to come out of a hole. It’s tough. We really have to be a team at this point and depend on each other.”

Coach Singletary added that Vernon was “not a problem guy” but sometimes “forgets that the team is more important.” I’ll reiterate what I said in my post Sunday. Vernon’s a good guy. He knows what’s up. And he’ll learn from this. Even though I’m sure the whole incident was an embarrassing situation for him, he’ll be a better player and person for it. In all honesty, these two need each other. Coach Singletary needs the kind of out-of-this-world potential Vernon brings. And Vernon could use the discipline and coaching. As I believe coach Singeltary will become one of the best head coaches in the game, I think Vernon will eventually evolve into one of the best tight ends in football.

Source: Yardbarker.com, The Mercury News, Photo: Newscom