Troubled 49ers rookies like Singletary's tough love
ShareThisBy Matthew Barrows
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Published: Saturday, May. 2, 2009
SANTA CLARA ? Alex Boone is a colossus of a man. He stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 328 pounds. He was a four-year starter at left offensive tackle at Ohio State and was a first-team all-Big Ten Conference selection as a senior.
When the draft ended and Boone didn't hear his name announced, he became what NFL teams refer to as a "priority free agent." In short, he was in demand.
But when San Francisco called, Boone stopped listening to offers.
"Obviously, coach (Mike) Singletary was the big reason," Boone said Friday. "As soon as they made the offer, we were talking about how he could help me and keep me grounded."
As with several players taking part in San Francisco's rookie minicamp this weekend, the reason Boone's draft stock crashed had more to do off-the-field issues than how he performed on it.
Boone has acknowledged an alcohol problem. In 2006, he was charged with drunken driving. In February, he had to be Tasered by Orange County sheriff's deputies after reportedly jumping on car hoods, yanking on a tow truck cable, trying to break a window and yelling obscenities at deputies. A sheriff's deputy said Boone's blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit, according to various reports.
With that in mind, Boone said his agent had circled the 49ers and their tough-love head coach as the ideal landing spot if Boone didn't get drafted.