It's no secret that the early 2000's weren't exactly a high point in the history of the San Francisco 49ers. From 2003-2010 the once dominant franchise won just 46 games and didn't have a single winning season. Then, in 2011, something changed.
On the surface, the hiring of Jim Harbaugh seemed to make all the difference. The Niners went 13-3 in 2011 and ultimately made three NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl with him at the helm. Harbaugh left little doubt that he was an elite head coach, but the team was also full of talented players who were still hitting their stride upon his arrival. Vernon Davis was one of those players.
The Pro Bowl tight end ranks seventh all-time in franchise history in receiving yards (5,640) and fourth in receiving touchdowns (55). He was also a prolific playoff performer with 600 yards receiving and seven touchdowns over eight postseason games.
Davis was recently a guest on the No Huddle podcast and was asked why he thought the 49ers were able to turn things around in 2011. Was it the arrival of Harbaugh, the growth of the players, or a little of both?
"I think the players were evolving. We all gelled together and we really cared about each other," said Davis. "We hung out, we stayed together. When you have that togetherness I think it says a lot because a lot of times I've been on teams where guys are just together in the locker room. They go to work, they don't hang out outside of that. But the team that we had, we stuck together, man"
Davis also discusses his new book, the infamous Mike Singletary press conference, Harbaugh's return to the NFL and more. You can watch the entire interview here: