By Paul Doherty Sports Editor Santa Clara – Last season’s hand,
bicep and shoulder injuries are keeping San Martin resident and
veteran 49er Jeff Ulbrich out of the starting lineup, but they are
not keeping him off the field.
By Paul Doherty
Sports Editor
Santa Clara – Last season’s hand, bicep and shoulder injuries are keeping San Martin resident and veteran 49er Jeff Ulbrich out of the starting lineup, but they are not keeping him off the field.
The eight-year veteran, who has played in 84 career games with 70 starts, heads into the 2007-08 season with a more limited defensive role due to last season’s injuries, but with a fresh opportunity on special teams.
“Last year I tore my labrum, and also dislocated my shoulder, and I’ve had three surgeries on it,” Ulbrich said.
Last preseason, before the shoulder injury, Ulbrich was just coming off a bicep tear surgery, then in week eight, Ulbrich had his right hand surgically repaired due to a broken thumb and ruptured thumb tendons.
Ulbrich wore a thumb cast and a shoulder harness in all of the games he played in last season.
“I took half of last season off, so now it’s one of those deals where I can’t take time off … I just have to play with it,” Ulbrich said. “I’m just looking forward to being healthy this year.”
The 30-year-old linebacker will be in on special teams, and will provide depth to the Niners inside defense.
“I’m out there just competing, so we’ll see (about getting a starting position),” Ulbrich said. “I’m giving my best every day, and that’s all I can do.”
While the limited amount of playing time might frustrate other veteran players, Ulbrich has a positive outlook on his changing role with the team.
“I’ve been a starter my entire career … so to play special teams, I don’t look at it emotionally, I look at it as a new challenge, something fun and different to do.” he said.
Growing up in Morgan Hill Ulbrich was a huge 49ers fan who now honors the legacy of legendary coach Bill Walsh who died of leukemia at age75 in July.
“Fortunately I got a chance to know him fairly well, and I got to have a few lunches with him,” Ulbrich said of Walsh.
Walsh was a consultant to the team when Ulbrich was drafted in the third round (86th overall) in the 2000 NFL draft.
“Walsh ran the 2000 draft (for the Niners), and he was a huge part of the draft for me because he traded up for me,” Ulbrich said. “And when I got in here he let me know that.
“It was a such a good thing, and a motivational factor to live up to his expectations … but (his death) is very tragic and hopefully we can all set aside time and remember who he was and what he did for this team.”
The NFL has given permission to the 49ers to wear commemorative black stickers featuring a black oval with the white letters “BW” in the middle on the back of their helmets this season to honor Walsh.
Looking ahead to the season, Ulbrich hopes to beat rivals Seattle and Arizona.
“Seattle has won the NFC West the last couple years, but in the same respect Arizona was getting much better last year,” he said. “Arizona beat us both times we played, and there is definitely something to be said about that rivalry.”
Staying consistent, Ulbrich said the quarterback he would most like to sack this season is Arizona’s Matt Lienart.
“He (Lienart) gets so much hype, and he’s so Hollywood,” Ulbrich said.
In regards to the running back Ulbrich would most like to get his hands on, San Diego’s LaDanian Tomlinson is the first who comes to mind.
“I think right now LT is the hardest to tackle,” he said. “He’s everything: he’s strong, he’s elusive, he’s extremely smart, he knows how to set up his blocks … he’s one of those elite backs that you don’t think he can get any better, and then he gets better.”
Preparing to play against stars like Tomlinson keeps Ulbrich on his toes and on top of his game.
“You’re a little more focused, and you watch a little more film, but I don’t know if it neccesarily helps, because he’s an amazing talent.”
When asked about the indefinite suspension of Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Michael Vick on dog fighting allegations, Ulbrich said he thinks it is unfortunate for the NFL.
“It’s such a small percentage of the league of guys doing negative things,” he said “I don’t care what (Vick’s) convicted of because he was obvuisly involved in some way, and that reflects on all of us because we’re such a small group of people in relation to the population of the United States.”
Ulbrich said that being a positive role model is vital for the NFL.
“There’s something to be said about taking advantage of this position and being a positive role model … and a lot of guys dismiss that and don’t put much importance into it.
“We get paid based upon fans perception of us and our game, so taking care of what happens on the field is just as import of taking care of what happens off the field.”
