3 old pros glad to get new life
For the first six weeks of the regular season, Tony McDaniel was an unemployed professional football player and amateur hiker.
McDaniel, 32, spent many afternoons exploring the picturesque Rattlesnake Mountain Trail near North Bend, Wash., about 30 miles outside Seattle. The defensive lineman snapped pictures of the scenery and contemplated his murky football future during his three-hour solo journeys.
“I know that sounds kind of weird, but I find it relaxing,” McDaniel said. “You can get a lot of thinking done.”
McDaniel isn’t alone. He’s one of three thirtysomething defensive players the 49ers signed in October who wondered if they’d played their last snap before the phone rang them out of unemployment.
The 49ers signed McDaniel, cornerback Leon Hall, 32, and tackle Leger Douzable, 31, to plug holes in an injury-ravaged defense. And the moves have
paid off: In the midst of an 0-9 season, the old guys have played key roles in surprisingly strong defensive performances the past two games.
Hall, who hadn’t been with an NFL team since he played his final game with the Giants on Jan. 1, also got some thinking done during his nine months away from the game. A common question: Was he working out in San Diego and Cincinnati for a chance that would never come?
“Those thoughts crept in my mind a little bit; some days were better than others,” said Hall, pausing. “Sundays were the worst days.”
The rebuilding 49ers are going young, but they grabbed the experienced trio because they needed players who could play — immediately.
McDaniel and Douzable debuted against Dallas on Oct. 22, five days after signing contracts. Hall, who had a previous nine-day stint with the team, played his first snaps with the 49ers in a loss at Philadelphia on Oct. 29, five days after he re-signed.
NFL economics often work against older players, who are pushed aside for younger, cheaper labor. But the 49ers’ trio proves there is an exception: You don’t call a rookie when assistance is needed ASAP.
McDaniel, Hall and Douzable had combined to log 29 seasons and play 389 games (173 starts) with 10 different teams before joining the 49ers.
“When I came here I was able to draw on other experiences,” Hall said. “I’ve seen a lot of football. And I’ve kept myself in good shape. So I wasn’t too nervous about being able to play quickly.”
Said Douzable, smiling: “This time, (being older) kind of played in our favor.”
It helped that Douzable had spent two weeks learning the 49ers’ system in August before he was a final roster cut. And McDaniel had played three seasons with the Seahawks, who also run the 49ers’ 4-3 defense. Hall is the most accomplished of the group: A 2007 first-round pick, his 27 career interceptions rank 10th among active players and are 15 more than the other eight defensive backs on the 49ers’ 53-man roster.
Injuries have forced the threesome to play plenty. Douzable has made three starts, averaged 53.3 snaps and had two sacks in a 33-10 loss at Philadelphia in which the Eagles were held to a season-low 304 yards.
Hall, who has averaged 34.5 snaps while replacing injured first-team nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams, didn’t allow a catch in his debut against the Eagles. On Sunday, he played a major role in keeping future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald (five catches, 70 yards) relatively quiet.
McDaniel, who has played 57 snaps in three games, forced a fumble the 49ers recovered against the Cardinals.
“I had a good preseason and put some good things on film,” said McDaniel, who was cut by the Saints on Sept. 2. “I know how the NFL is. There’s going to be injuries. I felt as long as I stayed in shape and was presentable when I got a call, I’d find my way on a team.”
Douzable, who was “surprised” when the 49ers cut him in the summer, was working out in Miami when his last employer reached out.
“I was steadfast and I knew that a call would come,” Douzable said. “When it came I wanted to be ready.”
What will happen next is probably predictable. Douzable, McDaniel and Hall are Band-Aids who will likely be ripped off at the end of the season, unless players returning from injuries make them expendable sooner.
Hall and McDaniel are living at the Santa Clara Marriott, which McDaniel plans to do indefinitely (“The prices are high around here,” he said). Douzable said he recently rented an apartment in San Jose, but declined to disclose the length of his lease.
It’s likely the unemployment line will again beckon, meaning how they perform for the 49ers could dictate if they get another chance.
“You don’t worry about that,” Douzable said. “You come into work every day and you let the cards fall where they may fall. I always have contingency plans. Nothing is guaranteed in this league. You can be a starter today and be gone tomorrow.”
Hall, in his 11th season, is philosophical about possibly ending his career with a thusfar winless team.
“I’m here and I appreciate being in this spot,” he said. “Not a lot of people get to do it and a lot of people are out in a couple years. Some people don’t last a year. I definitely appreciate it.”
Whenever he plays his last game, McDaniel, in his 12th season, figures to contemplate the first step in his post-football life in a familiar spot. He’s in no hurry to return there, but he always appreciates the perspective.
“It’s beautiful,” he said. “You get some amazing views.”