All the while as he adjusted to a ne
SANTA CLARA, Calif. Mike Nugent Jersey . - Alex Smith arrived in San Francisco with the pressure of being the No. 1 overall draft pick. He got called a draft bust, then turned the tide to win back those same fans who had booed him out of Candlestick Park.Smith got hurt, bounced back, started and was benched, then regained his job and lost it once more. All the while as he adjusted to a new offensive co-ordinator and system nearly every year.Smith will be the first to say his up-and-down tenure with the 49ers hardly went how he hoped when he left Utah as the NFLs top choice in 2005. When he takes the field at Levis Stadium in the other uniform Sunday with Kansas City, there will be mixed emotions for everybody involved.No bitterness at all, Smith said. What happened there the end of the (2012) year, losing my job, you get to that point and I say this a lot, worrying about anything that was outside your control and dwelling on any of that stuff is only going to have a negative impact.He is coming off a statement game in a 41-14 Monday night win by the Chiefs (2-2) against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Smith threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns.I cant wait to see him. Me and Alex came in together, and Im so happy for him, said running back Frank Gore, a staunch supporter of Smith over the years. Hes doing a great job. Weve got to go out there and try to get a win. But Im happy for Alex and I love him, man.Smith considered leaving the Bay Area for good after the 2010 season. He stuck around, then in 2011 led teammates through their own practices at nearby San Jose State during the lockout.He had unfinished business, and then it was time to go.I felt like it was complete. I felt like we had rebounded, Smith said. It took a lot longer than I thought, got the organization back where it needed to be.That 2011 year, Smith rallied his team from behind five times, including four away games, as the Niners went 6-2 on the road. His 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with 9 seconds remaining in the NFC division playoffs lifted the 49ers to a 36-32 victory against the favoured Saints.And Smith was rewarded with a new three-year contract in March 2012 with the idea he would carry the offence again. A concussion and a strong-armed guy named Colin changed all that.Colin Kaepernick took over for good in November and Smith never regained his job even when healthy. He was stung, angry at times, and didnt agree with the decision. But he kept his mouth shut.One of the classiest people Ive ever been around, just an all-around great guy. I dont think anyone could have handled it any better than he did, Kaepernick said Wednesday. He definitely made things go a lot smoother. The way he handled things, he didnt turn it into a controversy in the locker room. That just shows the character he has not just as a player but as a man.Smith finds it funny this week to be watching 49ers defensive stars Justin Smith and Patrick Willis on tape.Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was among Smiths supporters. It was Tomsula who started him over Troy Smith, which made him a winner in a one-game stint as interim head coach to end the 2010 season after Mike Singletary was fired.I have a tremendous amount of respect for Alex Smith a€” as a man, a father, a husband, a person, and a football player, Tomsula said. I think hes extremely intelligent, extremely gifted, I think hes a winner. I dont have a negative about Alex Smith, I just really think the world of him.In 2011, Smith thrived under 15-year quarterback-turned-first-year NFL head coach Jim Harbaugh and helped lead the franchise to its first post-season berth and winning record in nine years.Largely because of Smiths leadership then, the 49ers have emerged as a regular contender again. He threw for 3,150 yards and 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions in 2011 as arguably the biggest surprise in San Franciscos 13-3 run to its first division title since 2002.We have great respect for his game. Ive never seen Alex Smith not be good, Harbaugh said. Im sure that adds to it, adds to the competitiveness the fact Alex did play here. Very happy for his success, not rooting for success for him this week.Andy Reid, who returned to Philadelphia in his first season coaching the Chiefs last year, offered his own insight to Smith.What I did was I just ordered a cheesesteak and went and coached, Reid said. You eliminate the clutter. You focus in on what you do. All that stuff, going home, that doesnt mean anything.___AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this report.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Karl Joseph Jersey . -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed Jerome Simpson, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver recently convicted on a felony drug charge. AJ McCarron Jersey . The Senators return from a lengthy layoff caused by Wednesdays attack on Parliament Hill to host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.CHESTER, Pa. - The Philadelphia Union held the Houston Dynamo without a shot on goal in a scoreless draw Saturday night that kept them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Vincent Nogueira sailed a free kick from just outside the box wide in the 89th minute, and Pedro Robiero hit the post in stoppage time for the Union. Unbeaten in their last six, the Uniion fell into a tie with Columbus, which beat New England 1-0 on Saturday night. Lyle Alzado Jersey. Both teams are 9-9-10. The Union and Dynamo have met three times this season, drawing both games at Philadelphia. The Dynamo won 2-0 in Houston. Houston (9-13-6) extended its undefeated streak against the Union to six games, with four wins and two draws. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys ChinaWholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys ChinaNCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL CheapCheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '