Team spirit alive: San Francisco 49ers’ step up for Kyle Williams’ rescue – NFL News
After being defeated by New York Giants in the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game on Sunday, January 22, 2012, the San Francisco 49ers are apparently dejected and remorseful.
Many are still wondering what would have happened had wide receiver, Kyle Williams, not fumbled – an error that eventually provided the opportunity for the Giants to score the game-winning field goal in the overtime.
But a stunning and admirable attitude was observed after the loss when all the players stepped in front and tried to lift Williams up.
The 49ers went into the locker room as a losing, but unified unit, and when reporters showed up, they witnessed an esteemed team spirit.
Tight end, Vernon Davis, who had two touchdowns in the game, is not blaming Williams for the loss. He commented that:
“I just told Kyle that it’s all right, to keep your head up, stay focused and just keep fighting. I know everyone was going to be coming down on you, but I’m on his side.”
The 49ers had started the present National Football League (NFL) as underdogs, but they surprised everyone with their outstanding achievement of topping the National Football Conference (NFC) – West division and losing only three games.
Their success did not come through a stroke of luck. Instead, they had worked hard to reach this far. They defeated the dangerous New Orleans Saints last week to qualify for the championship game where they were tied, 17-17, by the end of the fourth quarter.
During a punt-return in the overtime, Williams lost the ball after Giants’ linebacker, Jacquian Williams, forced a fumble, and Devin Thomas recovered the ball to set up a field goal for Lawrence Tynes.
While recalling the moment when Williams gave the ball away, linebacker, Patrick Willis, opined that anyone could have been the victim of that misery. He extended his support for the player saying that the teammates are not going to point fingers at each
other.
"I just told him that we are all in this together. I believe in him and if we had to do this all over again, he would be the guy who we put back there... At the end of the day, this is a team game... We're not pointing fingers at anyone."
The same sentiments were shared by quarterback, Alex Smith, and the hero of the 49ers, their first-year coach, Jim Harbaugh.
And at the end, Williams, too was a bit relieved and told the reporters how everyone came to him and tried to cheer him up.
“I couldn’t be happier with the teammates I have in here,” he remarked.
The 49ers could not make it to the Super Bowl, but reaching the playoffs after 2002 and maintaining a good record throughout the season certainly deserve applause.
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