49ers Backup QB Trent Dilfer? Class Act

I was poking around online today and came across an article in the Contra Costa Times about Trent Dilfer. The general gist of the article is that Dilfer is hoping to get some more playing time in the preseason after only playing in parts of 2 exhibitions last year. Dilfer acknowledges his role come the regular season, but simply feels he could use some fine-tuning in preseason games so that he can be ready on the off chance that Alex Smith gets hurt and the 49ers need Dilfer to step in.

It's pretty much par for the course that Trent Dilfer is a good guy and we all realized how well he has handled the role of mentor to Alex Smith. This is clearly not new territory we are venturing into. However, this article just goes to show how a professional handles his business, particularly when it comes to delicate matters like playing time:

"He can do whatever he wants with me. He's the boss," Dilfer said over the weekend at Lake Tahoe, where he competed in a celebrity golf tournament. "I'm just going to express that I would like to play a little more in the preseason, just to make sure I'm sharp....I'm a year removed" from playing, Dilfer said. "That's why I feel like I need to play more this preseason."

"It's hard not to play, but I was very proud how resilient and tough Alex played last year and how much better he got," Dilfer said. "As much as I want to go in and contribute, I understand the best thing for the football team was for the starting quarterback to take the first snap and the last snap and every snap in between."

While clearly he knows his role and should be expected to act accordingly, in an often, me-first occupation, it's always worth acknowledging a team player.