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By Daniel Brown
[size=-1]Mercury News[/size]
Running backs change direction all the time, but Bruce Thornton took it to the extreme. Before his sophomore season at Georgia, he surveyed the depth chart and realized there was no room for him to run.
He asked to be moved to cornerback.
``I just wanted to play,'' Thornton recalled Monday, ``and the team needed help at that position.''
The 49ers are glad he made the switch. In his first start for them, on Oct. 9, Thornton held the usually prolific Marvin Harrison to two catches for 17 yards.
On Sunday, the 49ers are counting on the second-year player to do it again against the Washington Commanders. The left cornerback will line up at times against Santana Moss, who entered play Monday night leading the NFL with 631 receiving yards.
Moss is coming off a 10-catch, 173-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. And if it sounds odd that the 49ers will try to stop him with a player fresh off the practice squad, flash back a few weeks. It sounded just as odd before the Indianapolis Colts came to town.
But Thornton spent that game acting as though he were Harrison's cologne, drifting wherever the receiver went. The six-time Pro Bowl selection had only a pair of modest catches and no touchdowns. ``I was a little in awe before the game,'' Thornton said. ``I mean, you go out there and see Peyton Manning standing there.''
But the awe wore off quickly. By the time Manning took a shot at Harrison for a score, Thornton had the audacity to intercept it at the goal line.
``He was challenged,'' defensive lineman Bryant Young said, ``and he made a big play.''
Thornton's first career interception was a milestone for a player who thought he would make it in the NFL scoring touchdowns rather than preventing them. As a freshman tailback, he had 47 rushes for 230 yards. But Thornton said he was third on the depth chart entering his sophomore season and asked for a new job description.
On Monday, he smiled as he recalled the rough transition. Every high-octane Southeastern Conference opponent tried to exploit the neophyte cornerback, and mostly did. But Thornton eventually got the hang of things. He started all 13 games as a senior, was voted the team's most improved defensive back and took back an interception 71 yards for a touchdown in a Sugar Bowl victory over Florida State.
``Making the switch was hard the first year, because there's so much to learn,'' Thornton said. ``You have to recognize formations, react, get the timing right. I was just an athlete and wanted to play.''
The Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the fourth round in 2004, and Thornton said Coach Bill Parcells was on him from the start.
``He doesn't like rookies,'' he said.
When he was finally allowed to suit up on game day, his Cowboys career lasted less than two quarters. Thornton tore his right anterior cruciate ligament Oct. 10, 2004, against the New York Giants and was out for the year.
The Cowboys released him at the end of training camp this season, and the 49ers added him to their practice squad six days later.
Maybe Thornton can do what the Cowboys could not: Contain Moss. The Commanders receiver scored on plays of 39 and 70 yards in the final 3 minutes, 46 seconds as Washington pulled off a 14-13 victory in Week 2.
With the day off Sunday, the 49ers watched the Commanders play the Chiefs. Both Thornton and Coach Mike Nolan used the word ``explosive'' in describing Moss and the Washington offense.
Moss has nine catches of at least 20 yards and four of at least 40.
And now it's up to a former running back to keep pace.
``Cornerback is one of those jobs where you can have a great game all the way up to the end, and then it goes bad on one play,'' Thornton said. ``I just have to keep it up, keep fighting. It's a long year.''
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/football/nfl/san_francisco_49ers/12930827.htm
----------------
Kinda sucks, the 49ers are reaping the Cowboys benefits. But I wish him well.
[size=-1]Mercury News[/size]
Running backs change direction all the time, but Bruce Thornton took it to the extreme. Before his sophomore season at Georgia, he surveyed the depth chart and realized there was no room for him to run.
He asked to be moved to cornerback.
``I just wanted to play,'' Thornton recalled Monday, ``and the team needed help at that position.''
The 49ers are glad he made the switch. In his first start for them, on Oct. 9, Thornton held the usually prolific Marvin Harrison to two catches for 17 yards.
On Sunday, the 49ers are counting on the second-year player to do it again against the Washington Commanders. The left cornerback will line up at times against Santana Moss, who entered play Monday night leading the NFL with 631 receiving yards.
Moss is coming off a 10-catch, 173-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. And if it sounds odd that the 49ers will try to stop him with a player fresh off the practice squad, flash back a few weeks. It sounded just as odd before the Indianapolis Colts came to town.
But Thornton spent that game acting as though he were Harrison's cologne, drifting wherever the receiver went. The six-time Pro Bowl selection had only a pair of modest catches and no touchdowns. ``I was a little in awe before the game,'' Thornton said. ``I mean, you go out there and see Peyton Manning standing there.''
But the awe wore off quickly. By the time Manning took a shot at Harrison for a score, Thornton had the audacity to intercept it at the goal line.
``He was challenged,'' defensive lineman Bryant Young said, ``and he made a big play.''
Thornton's first career interception was a milestone for a player who thought he would make it in the NFL scoring touchdowns rather than preventing them. As a freshman tailback, he had 47 rushes for 230 yards. But Thornton said he was third on the depth chart entering his sophomore season and asked for a new job description.
On Monday, he smiled as he recalled the rough transition. Every high-octane Southeastern Conference opponent tried to exploit the neophyte cornerback, and mostly did. But Thornton eventually got the hang of things. He started all 13 games as a senior, was voted the team's most improved defensive back and took back an interception 71 yards for a touchdown in a Sugar Bowl victory over Florida State.
``Making the switch was hard the first year, because there's so much to learn,'' Thornton said. ``You have to recognize formations, react, get the timing right. I was just an athlete and wanted to play.''
The Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the fourth round in 2004, and Thornton said Coach Bill Parcells was on him from the start.
``He doesn't like rookies,'' he said.
When he was finally allowed to suit up on game day, his Cowboys career lasted less than two quarters. Thornton tore his right anterior cruciate ligament Oct. 10, 2004, against the New York Giants and was out for the year.
The Cowboys released him at the end of training camp this season, and the 49ers added him to their practice squad six days later.
Maybe Thornton can do what the Cowboys could not: Contain Moss. The Commanders receiver scored on plays of 39 and 70 yards in the final 3 minutes, 46 seconds as Washington pulled off a 14-13 victory in Week 2.
With the day off Sunday, the 49ers watched the Commanders play the Chiefs. Both Thornton and Coach Mike Nolan used the word ``explosive'' in describing Moss and the Washington offense.
Moss has nine catches of at least 20 yards and four of at least 40.
And now it's up to a former running back to keep pace.
``Cornerback is one of those jobs where you can have a great game all the way up to the end, and then it goes bad on one play,'' Thornton said. ``I just have to keep it up, keep fighting. It's a long year.''
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/football/nfl/san_francisco_49ers/12930827.htm
----------------
Kinda sucks, the 49ers are reaping the Cowboys benefits. But I wish him well.
