Earlier this week we had a discussion about the big hitters in the 49ers defense. Patrick Willis is dominating the voting with close to half the votes in his favor. Dashon Goldson is second with Donte Whitner right behind him. However, after a quick look on Twitter last night, Goldson might not have voted for himself:
"@bigdaddy74dk: @thehawk38 Wassup wit the hardest hittin safety tho?" Idk Here's his connect @DonteWhitner
— Dashon Goldson(@thehawk38) February 23, 2012
Whitner was an incredibly solid tackler for the 49ers, providing excellent run support as the 49ers strong safety. He does not have phenomenal pass coverage skills, but he fills the role required of him with aplomb. Dashon Goldson can play in the center field position for over the top plays (something that can be refined a bit), leaving Whitner underneath to make some big hits before ball carriers get too deep into the second level.
In case anybody forgot, here is the now most famous example of Donte Whitner's big hitting skills. It is safe to say this 2011 free agency addition worked out fairly well.