2012-GameRelease-Divisional

Player Feature Story
49ers: LB Michael Wilhoite makes the most of NFL debut
By Kyle Bonagura, CBSSports.com
If not for the final outcome of the 49ers' loss at St. Louis on Sunday, LB Michael Wilhoite would be the
proud owner of a game ball for his performance in his first NFL appearance.
“Had an outstanding game on special teams,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Multiple tackles and had we
won the game he would have deserved a game ball. He would have been the guy.”
Not bad for a guy who once redshirted at Division II Washburn University -- home of the Ichabods -- and
whose lone professional experience before Sunday came with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United
Football League.
Wilhoite was bumped up from the practice squad last week and was in on four special-teams units:
kickoff, kickoff return, punt and punt return. Harbaugh complimented him for staying on his assignments
and was especially pleased with the job he did on punt team, where he was consistently able to free up
teammates to get a good release off the line of scrimmage.
Only a win would have made it a better day for Wilhoite.
“I was on cloud nine, obviously, all day,” he said. “Words can't explain it, but it was awesome to have my
family there and have teammates there that were happy for me.”
There was a time, not long ago, when the NFL wasn't a realistic dream. After his redshirt year at
Washburn in 2005, he switched from safety to linebacker and finished No. 21 on the team with six
tackles. His two standout performances consisted of two tackles against both Central Missouri and
Southwest Baptist.
He was on the radar of exactly zero NFL teams.
But once he started having success for the Ichabods, Washburn coach Craig Schurig told him
professional football could be in his future.
“I never really realized it as much,” Wilhoite said. “(Schurig) realized it before I did, and he said something
to me and when he did, I said ‘OK, this can be a realistic goal.'”
There were other milestones along the way -- signing with Omaha, then to the 49ers practice squad last
year, then getting re-signed to the practice squad following training camp again this year, but none of
those signified just how far he'd come compared to his first 49ers' game action.
Call K David Akers' touchback to open the game most memorable non-play of Wilhoite's life.
“I was glad we started with kickoff, there is no assignment, you just run down as fast as you can and try to
make a play,” Wilhoite said. “A touchback isn't as near as fun, but it was a blessing to be able to run down
the field with my teammates.”
Already one of the strongest, most physically imposing players on the team, Wilhoite more than held his
own when he finally got in on some action. His first tackle came following a punt.
"That was pretty awesome," he said. "First one in my career, hopefully there'll be many more. I'll just
remember that one running down, making a play and celebrating with my teammates."
See the trend? Wilhoite gives a lot of credit to the guys around him in the San Francisco locker room,
guys whose trust he's earned with consistent effort in practice over the last year.