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PLAYER BIO6-3 | 250 | MARYLAND | 6TH YEAR | BORN 1.31.84 | WASHINGTON D.C.ACQUIRED D-1A IN ‘06 | DUNBAR HS, WASHINGTON D.C.Vernon Davis has solidified himself as one of the mostproductive and versatile tight ends to ever play thegame. His explosive speed and quickness, combinedwith his tremendous strength and athleticism, posesignificant challenges for opposing defenses. Davis, whowas selected by the 49ers with the 6th overall pick in the 2006 NFLDraft, has led the team in both receiving yards and touchdowns inback-to-back seasons (2009-10). He experienced a breakout seasonin 2009, recording 965 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, and wasrewarded with a starting role in the Pro Bowl. Known for his hardwork and dedication, Davis spends hours at a time in the weightroom and is always one of the last to leave the practice field. Forthese qualities, he was named a team captain in both 2009 and 2010,and was given a five-year contract extension on 9/11/10. Off the field,Davis is just as active as he is on the field, pursuing everything fromcurling and painting to humanitarian trips overseas. One of Davis’closest friends is his younger brother, Vontae, who is a starting cornerbackfor the Miami Dolphins.// TRANSACTIONSOriginally the first of two 1st-round (6th pick overall) draft choice bySF in 2006...Signed a five-year contract through 2015 on 9/11/10.// AWARDS & HONORS2009: NFC Pro Bowl, Len Eshmont Award// GOLDMINE• After a breakout season in 2009, Vernon was named the recipient ofthe Len Eshmont Award. The 49ers most prestigious annual honor,the Len Eshmont Award honors the player who best exemplifies the“inspirational and courageous play” of Len Eshmont and is voted onby the players.• Vernon is not one to sit back and relax during the offseason. Thispast March, he joined his younger brother, Vontae, and six otherNFL players on a humanitarian trip to Uganda and Rwanda. Thecrew spent 10 days distributing 22,000 hearing aids throughout theAfrican regions as part of the Pros for Africa organization. “It wasamazing. It was breathtaking because you look at these kids whocan’t hear anything and you plug these hearing aids in their earsand all of a sudden they’re responding. You can’t do anything but bethankful to be able to help them hear and respond. It brought a lotof emotion. I’m already an emotional guy.”• During the 2010 offseason, Vernon and Vontae hosted a football andmentoring clinic at Howard University in their native Washington,D.C. “It means a lot to me, because I know how important it is to goout and give back and share some of the lessons and just the giftsthat you always wanted as a kid,” Davis said. “Growing up in a lowincome,poverty area in the inner city of Washington, D.C., I knowwhat it’s like. When I think of the kids, it touches me in ways you can’teven imagine.”• During the 2010 offseason, Vernon traveled also to Afghanistanwith five fellow NFL players as part of the NFL-USO tour. They firststopped at Al Udeid Air Force Base 40 miles outside of Doha, Qatar,then traveled on to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. The tripgave Vernon perspective and knowledge of the efforts being putforth by our military in the Middle East. “It was a once-in-a-lifetimeexperience. I gained a lot of understanding throughout the trip andgot a chance to really see what was going on inside and out.”• Vernon was named an honorary captain of the USA Curling Team atthe 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He attended thegames and served as an ambassador for the team in order to helpgain support for the sport.• Vernon has always had an affinity for art and is an avid admirerof Michelangelo and the Renaissance period. In 2010 and 2011, hegot the opportunity to give back to his passion for art. Director ofCultural Affairs for the San Francisco Arts Commission Luis R. Cancel,in conjunction with the Young at Art Festival, a project of theSan Francisco Unified School District and the Fine Arts Museum ofSan Francisco, announced the launch of “Art Impact.” Vernon wasthe inaugural speaker for Art Impact, and the San Francisco UnifiedSchool District created a scholarship in Vernon’s name, called theVernon Davis Visual Arts Scholarship, which will provide tuition supportto a San Francisco youth interested in pursuing a career in thevisual arts. In May of 2011, he handed out his first scholarship to SanFrancisco high school student, Sheryl Quock, a promising fashiondesigner.• When Vernon was a freshman in college he wanted to honor the personwho raised him to be the person he is today, his grandmother,Adaline. He decided to get a tattoo on the inside of his left arm withher name. His grandmother’s reaction wasn’t a good one at first, butshe understood why he did it because in Vernon’s words, he couldlook onto the inside of his left arm just to think of her. “She’s reallyinfluenced me and really pushed me, made me open my eyes and seethat besides football, there’s are other things that I can get involvedwith if I don’t make it.” Adaline was the one who raised most of hissiblings and gave Vernon direction in his life, teaching him to setgoals and mold Vernon into the person he is today.SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS \\77// MEDIA GUIDE