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mann held strong under center, serving as the line’s vocaland emotional leader and Bobb McKittrick Award winner.Leading the offensive production was RB Frank Gore, whoplowed behind the line and new free agent FB Moran Norrisen route to setting a franchise-record 1,695 rushing yards,tops in the NFC, and another record 2,180 combined yards.His 212-yard performance against Seattle was the highestsingle-game rushing total in 49ers history and was one ofnine 100-yard rushing performances on the season. Gorewas voted the team’s co-MVP/Bill Walsh Award winner andEd Block Courage Award recipient. Also chipping in wasrookie TE Vernon Davis, who scored on his first NFL touch,a 31-yard touchdown catch in the season opener at Arizona.The defensive unit overcame some early struggles andimproved significantly during the second half of the season.LB Brandon Moore led the unit in tackles (114) and sacks(6.5) in his first year as a full-time starter. Consummateveterans LB Derek Smith (93 tackles), DT Marques Douglas(75 tackles, three sacks) and seven-time Len EshmontAward winner DE Bryant Young (60 tackles, 5.5 sacks) ledthe group up front while CB Walt Harris and S Keith Lewis(72 tackles, two interceptions, one sack) proved to be new,impact presences in the secondary. Harris finished with onesack and a career-high eight interceptions including a 28-yard touchdown return at Denver. Rookie LB Manny Lawsonwrapped his inaugural campaign with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks,one interception and a blocked punt while rookie DE MelvinOliver had 50 stops, one sack and a 12-yard fumble returnfor a touchdown. On special teams, K Joe Nedney amassed116 points, the second-highest total of his career and eighthmost in team history. Nedney was also successful on threeonsides kicks. RB Maurice Hicks continued to play a key rolein the special teams effort. He led the unit with 20 tackles,one fumble recovery and also returned 57 kickoffs fora franchise record 1,428 yards, third best in the NFC. Alsomaking a difference on the special teams unit was rookie RBMichael Robinson, who finished with 16 stops and a 33-yardreturn for a first down on a fake punt at Seattle.2007 - Head coach Mike Nolan and his team entered the2007 season believing that anything less than the playoffswould be a disappointment. Unfortunately, the team fellfar short of that mark with an overall 5-11 record as fourdifferent quarterbacks took the helm of the 49ers offense.49ers fans did experience some highlights in 2007, includinganother 1,000-yard rushing season for RB Frank Gore anda stellar season by LB Patrick Willis. The 49ers top pick outof Ole Miss won Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowlhonors. Willis was also the only NFL rookie to be named All-Pro in 2007, becoming the first 49ers defensive rookie toearn the honor since CB Ronnie Lott in 1981. His 226 tackleswas an unofficial NFL record and Willis earned numerousadditional accolades. P Andy Lee joined Willis at the Pro Bowlas he put together one of the greatest punting season in NFLhistory. Lee set an NFL record for punts downed inside the20-yard line with 42, while ranking second in gross puntingaverage (47.3) and net punting average (41.0) behind Oakland’sP Shane Lechler. The 49ers went 2-1 in primetimegames in 2007, winning the season opener on Monday NightFootball against the Arizona Cardinals and defeating the CincinnatiBengals on a Saturday night game in December. QBAlex Smith started the season with a 2-1 record before experiencinga shoulder injury in the fourth game of the seasonagainst Seattle. He eventually was placed on Injured Reservein December and underwent surgery. QB Trent Dilfer steppedin for Smith and led the team with 1,166 passing yards on113-of-219 passing. Dilfer eventually would suffer a concussionvs. Minnesota (12-9), and QB Shaun Hill replacedthe veteran in Week 13 of the season. Hill was sharp duringhis three games of action, completing 54-of-79 passes for501 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. However,Hill would also succumb to injury, being sidelined with aback injury for the season finale. QB Chris Weinke saw actionin the final game of the season. Despite inconsistency on offense,the 49ers special teams unit was among the league’smost elite in 2007. K Joe Nedney connected on 17-of-19field goal attempts, while Lee booted 49 punts of 50 or moreyards (16 more than any other punter). The 49ers punt coverageunit ranked ninth in the NFL, holding returners to 7.6yards per return. At the conclusion of the season, one of theall-time great 49ers, DT Bryant Young, retired from the NFLafter 14 seasons with San Francisco. Young led the 49erswith 6.5 sacks and finished with 89.5 sacks for his career,which is third on the 49ers all-time sack list behind CedrickHardman and Tommy Hart. He earned his eighth Len EshmontAward, given to the player who best exemplifies theinspirational and courageous play of Len Eshmont, who wasan original member of the 1946 team.2008 - The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2008 seasonfollowing a simple mantra, ‘One game at a time.’ Throughoutthe year, 49ers players and coaches experienced severaltransitions and tribulations, but did not allow their minds tolinger in the past, nor venture too far into the future. The focusedapproach proved effective as the team won five of itsfinal seven games to close out the season. After a promising2-1 start to the year, San Francisco dropped four straightcontests before making a change at head coach. In his fourthseason at the helm of the 49ers, Mike Nolan was replacedby assistant head coach/linebackers coach Mike Singletary.Upon accepting the position, Singletary said the foundationwas in place to take the team to the ‘next level.’ The responseby his players and staff proved positive as the 49ersfinished with a 5-4 record under Singletary’s direction.Immediately following the conclusion of the season finaleagainst Washington, team President Jed York announcedto onlooking players and coaches in the locker room thatSingletary would remain the 49ers head coach moving forward.The quarterback position was one of the first areasthat Singletary addressed when taking over for Nolan midwaythrough the 2008 season. QB J.T. O’Sullivan started thefirst eight games of the year and showed an ability to makebig plays, but costly turnovers proved to be problematic forthe signal-caller. O’Sullivan was replaced at the end of thefirst half of Singletary’s first game as head coach againstSeattle. Singletary later announced QB Shaun Hill would takeover the starting role for the remainder of the season. Themove appeared to be the right one as Hill went on to post a5-3 record and a 87.5 overall passer rating. While Hill madehis season debut midway through the year, RB Frank Gore