WinLoseOrTy
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https://www.espn.com/college-footba...leck-one-moment-nfl-glory-san-francisco-49ers
The story of P.J. Fleck's one moment of NFL glory with the San Francisco 49ers
If, for some reason, someone wanted to put together a list of the most insignificant San Francisco 49ers games over the past 40 years, the team's loss at New England to close out the 2004 season would be a strong candidate to top the list.
The 49ers had already clinched the league's worst record -- and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft -- in what spelled the end of coach Dennis Erickson's two-year stint. New England, which went on to win its second Super Bowl, was locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs, so coming out healthy was its primary concern.
It was a game that, essentially, didn't matter.
Just don't tell that to Minnesota Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck, who before breaking out as one of college football's most impressive young coaches, lived a brief, improbable dream.
"I still remember it like yesterday," he said.
Despite a standout career as a receiver at Northern Illinois, it wasn't a surprise when Fleck wasn't selected in the 2004 NFL draft. When it was over, he had two free-agent opportunities: with the Atlanta Falcons or the 49ers. He took a $1,000 signing bonus and headed west, knowing the odds weren't in his favor.
"He just played hard. He caught everything that was thrown at him," Erickson said. "He obviously wasn't the biggest guy in the world, but here's a guy that we felt would be great for us as a free agent. So, we signed [him] and that was all true. He was a warrior. He was like an energy bunny. That's how he played and that's how he practiced."
Fleck didn't see the logic in any other type of approach.
"When you're an undrafted free agent, you're a 5-10 guy that's not very fast, I mean, the chances of you making the football team probably aren't very high," he said. "But I found a way to stick around my first year on the practice squad."
Fleck treated every day like a tryout. He learned every receiver position. He battled through injuries to stay useful. His relentless energy and positivity -- traits that have come to define him as a coach -- left a lasting impression on those around him.
"I remember watching Minnesota play and everybody talking about his energy, how he's this upbeat type of person. Could it be real?" said Curtis Conway, a 12-year NFL vet who finished his career with the 49ers in 2004. "I'm like, 'Yeah, he was like that as a rookie. Exactly the same.'
"This dude was a machine. I was an older vet and he was like this energetic little brother. He wanted to go and go and go and go. But I'm like, I'm tired, I'm good. That was a guy you could appreciate his work ethic how he approached everything always. He was a guy you really wanted to play."
Added quarterback Ken Dorsey: "He went the same speed all the time. For me, it was always an easy decision to throw to him [in practice]."
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....
The story of P.J. Fleck's one moment of NFL glory with the San Francisco 49ers
If, for some reason, someone wanted to put together a list of the most insignificant San Francisco 49ers games over the past 40 years, the team's loss at New England to close out the 2004 season would be a strong candidate to top the list.
The 49ers had already clinched the league's worst record -- and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft -- in what spelled the end of coach Dennis Erickson's two-year stint. New England, which went on to win its second Super Bowl, was locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs, so coming out healthy was its primary concern.
It was a game that, essentially, didn't matter.
Just don't tell that to Minnesota Golden Gophers coach P.J. Fleck, who before breaking out as one of college football's most impressive young coaches, lived a brief, improbable dream.
"I still remember it like yesterday," he said.
Despite a standout career as a receiver at Northern Illinois, it wasn't a surprise when Fleck wasn't selected in the 2004 NFL draft. When it was over, he had two free-agent opportunities: with the Atlanta Falcons or the 49ers. He took a $1,000 signing bonus and headed west, knowing the odds weren't in his favor.
"He just played hard. He caught everything that was thrown at him," Erickson said. "He obviously wasn't the biggest guy in the world, but here's a guy that we felt would be great for us as a free agent. So, we signed [him] and that was all true. He was a warrior. He was like an energy bunny. That's how he played and that's how he practiced."
Fleck didn't see the logic in any other type of approach.
"When you're an undrafted free agent, you're a 5-10 guy that's not very fast, I mean, the chances of you making the football team probably aren't very high," he said. "But I found a way to stick around my first year on the practice squad."
Fleck treated every day like a tryout. He learned every receiver position. He battled through injuries to stay useful. His relentless energy and positivity -- traits that have come to define him as a coach -- left a lasting impression on those around him.
"I remember watching Minnesota play and everybody talking about his energy, how he's this upbeat type of person. Could it be real?" said Curtis Conway, a 12-year NFL vet who finished his career with the 49ers in 2004. "I'm like, 'Yeah, he was like that as a rookie. Exactly the same.'
"This dude was a machine. I was an older vet and he was like this energetic little brother. He wanted to go and go and go and go. But I'm like, I'm tired, I'm good. That was a guy you could appreciate his work ethic how he approached everything always. He was a guy you really wanted to play."
Added quarterback Ken Dorsey: "He went the same speed all the time. For me, it was always an easy decision to throw to him [in practice]."
....
....
