Mike Singletary Benches, Calls Out Vernon Davis – Press Conference Video

Last week, I wrote a good-luck piece to legendary Chicago Bears linebacker and new San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary. After what transpired today in his head coaching debut, I feel like going to wherever Singletary is right now and giving him a one-man standing ovation for standing up to selfishness and me-first attitudes on his team.

Singletary and the 49ers lost today’s game to the Seattle Seahawks 34-13, but Mike Singletary may have scored a huge win in his own locker room and helped set the tone for his new regime. With 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter, Mike Singletary sent tight end Vernon Davis to the locker room for the rest of the game. Singletary’s post-game press conference is great. Absolutely filled with the passion and emotion of a man who simply burns to lose and will do whatever it takes to win football games. Here is the video:

This quote is the highlight for me:

“I’d rather play with 10 people and just get penalized all the way until we have to do something else rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team,” Singletary said. “It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can’t do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win.”

On the same day in which the Cleveland Browns moved to 2-0 without Kellen Winslow, it was great to see a coach stand up for team-first principles. I don’t know how closely Kellen Winslow and Vernon Davis compare, but I do know that more and more NFL teams seem to be realizing that championship teams aren’t always built around a simple assembly of stars. Even the stars have to fit into the team concept. Dallas is learning this the hard way right now, just like the New York Giants learned it to their advantage last year, and are keeping it in mind as they deal with Plaxico Burress this year.

The 49ers may have lost by 21 points today, but every 49er fan should feel good about today. Your new head coach showed exactly who he is and what type of program he will run in San Francisco. It may not have delivered a win today, but it will deliver plenty of wins in the future.

Tags: mike singletary, NFL

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