Feature article on Jeff Ulbrich

Thank you to Tombo for this link!

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/sports/contentview.asp?c=222494

About last season's hand, biceps and shoulder injuries that are keeping him out of the starting lineup, Ulbrich said:
"Last year I tore my labrum, and also dislocated my shoulder, and I've had three surgeries on it." (GD)

GD Note: "Last preseason, before the shoulder injury, Ulbrich was just coming off a biceps tear surgery. Then in week eight, Ulbrich had his right hand surgically repaired due to a broken thumb and ruptured thumb tendons. Ulbrich wore a thumb cast and a shoulder harness in all of the games he played in last season."


About how he has to play whether he is injuried or not, Ulbrich said:
"I took half of last season off, so now it's one of those deals where I can't take time off ... I just have to play with it. I'm just looking forward to being healthy this year." (GD)


About contributing on special teams and as depth for their inside defense, Ulbrich said:
"I'm out there just competing, so we'll see (about getting a starting position). I'm giving my best every day, and that's all I can do." (GD)


Keeping a positive attitude despite not starting now, Ulbrich said:
"I've been a starter my entire career ... so to play special teams, I don't look at it emotionally, I look at it as a new challenge, something fun and different to do." (GD)


Ulbrich grew up a 49ers fan and said about Bill Walsh:
"Fortunately I got a chance to know him fairly well, and I got to have a few lunches with him." (GD)

GD Note: "The coach was a consultant to the team when Ulbrich was drafted in the third round (86th overall) in the 2000 NFL draft."


About how Coach Walsh got the 49ers to trade up for him, Ulbrich said:
"Walsh ran the 2000 draft, and he was a huge part of the draft for me because he traded up for me. And when I got in here he let me know that. It was a such a good thing, and a motivational factor to live up to his expectations ... but (his death) is very tragic and hopefully we can all set aside time and remember who he was and what he did for this team." (GD)

GD Note: "The NFL has given permission to the 49ers to wear commemorative black stickers featuring a black oval with the white letters "BW" in the middle on the back of their helmets this season to honor Walsh."


Hoping that they can improve this season, especially against division rivals, Ulbrich said:
"Seattle has won the NFC West the last couple years, but in the same respect Arizona was getting much better last year. Arizona beat us both times we played, and there is definitely something to be said about that rivalry." (GD)


About how he'd most like to sack Arizona's Matt Leinart, Ulbrich said:
"He (Leinart) gets so much hype, and he's so Hollywood." (GD)


About the RB he'd most like to tackle, Ulbrich said:
"I think right now LT is the hardest to tackle. He's everything: he's strong, he's elusive, he's extremely smart, he knows how to set up his blocks ... he's one of those elite backs that you don't think he can get any better, and then he gets better." (GD)


About how preparing for LT keeps him on his toes, Ulbrich said:
"You're a little more focused, and you watch a little more film, but I don't know if it neccesarily helps, because he's an amazing talent." (GD)


About Michael Vick's dog fighting problems, Ulbrich said:
"It's such a small percentage of the league of guys doing negative things. I don't care what (Vick's) convicted of because he was obviously involved in some way, and that reflects on all of us because we're such a small group of people in relation to the population of the United States." (GD)


About how it is important to be a good role model while being in the NFL, Ulbrich said:
"There's something to be said about taking advantage of this position and being a positive role model ... and a lot of guys dismiss that and don't put much importance into it. We get paid based upon fans' perception of us and our game, so taking care of what happens on the field is just as import of taking care of what happens off the field." (GD)