Niner News & Notes

Willis Voted GMC Defensive Player of the Week
49ers.com
Linebacker Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers is the GMC Defensive Player of the Week for games played on November 22 - 26. Willis made 18 tackle, ½ sack and one pass defensed in the 49ers’ 37 – 31 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Willis ran down Sean Morey on a 62-yard reception in overtime preventing him from potentially scoring and winning the game for the Cardinals. Willis was selected from among five finalists by voters on NFL.com. The other finalists were safety Roman Harper of the New Orleans Saints, defensive end Patrick Kerney of the Seattle Seahawks, cornerback Asante Samuel of the New England Patriots, and safety Dwight Smith of the Minnesota Vikings. After the regular season, five players will be nominated for GMC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com throughout the month of January.

Bewitching hour for Smith and his shoulder
Matthew Barrows, Sac Bee
Not only has Alex Smith not thrown a ball in nearly two weeks, he hasn't even lifted his right arm over his head. The strategy is to keep his injured shoulder as immobile as possible for two weeks - which will be this Sunday - and then re-examine it at that point. Smith said that examination could occur Monday or Tuesday. He is contemplating a return trip to Birmingham, Ala. to visit Dr. James Andrews or he could possibly fly to Los Angeles to meet with a doctor there that Andrews recommended. The visit will be an important one - the results could determine whether Smith plays again this season or possibly whether he will have surgery to reattach the ligaments between his collarbone and shoulder.

Gore deals with death of Taylor after mom's passing
John Crumpacker, San Francisco Chronicle
For the second time this season, Frank Gore has been hit with the type of tragedy that makes football trivial in comparison. Once again, he must compartmentalize his grief as he prepares to play a game. In September, he lost his mother, Liz Gore, to kidney disease. On Tuesday, he lost a friend and former teammate to gun violence when safety Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins was shot and killed in his home in the Miami area. Gore and Taylor entered the University of Miami together in 2001; they first met years before playing Pop Warner football."It's tough losing my mom, now losing my friend, who I played ball with," Gore said in his typically soft tone. "He was a tough dude, great football player. A lot of people don't know he was a great dude. At the University of Miami, all the boys are close. It's like losing my brother.
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