49ers' Willis, Staley showed beginners' pluck

by Alex Marvez

Updated: March 31, 2008, 1:18 PM EST 101 comments

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According to documents obtained by FOXSports.com, only 35 of 1,898 NFL players participated in every regular-season snap last season. The list includes just three rookies: Willis, Staley and Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas.

"What Patrick and Joe did was very unusual," said 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan, whose team drafted both players in the first round last year. "To have two rookies starting from Week One isn't heard of too often.

"Rookies have good and bad times. Sometimes during the bad times, they can't get out of a funk because they're not mentally or physically mature enough. Our two guys never hit that wall."

In Willis' case, he hit everyone else. Willis earned a Pro Bowl berth while finishing with an NFL-high 174 tackles. Willis and 49ers cornerback Nate Clements also appeared on more regular-season downs (1,079) than any other players.

Such heavy participation is especially unusual in today's NFL because of injuries, frequent substitutions and coaching decisions to rest players either in blowouts or at season's end if a playoff berth is clinched. Twenty-nine of the 35 players who didn't miss a snap in 2007 were offensive linemen, which is a unit that rarely rotates starting personnel.

Besides Willis and Clements, the only other non-linemen to reach the 100-percent mark were Oakland linebacker Kirk Morrison, Seattle safety Deon Grant, Cleveland safety Sean Jones and Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer.

"I can't say what the rookie wall is," Willis told FOXSports.com on Thursday. "On some Sundays, you feel more tired than others. But for the most part, it was wonderful because of the guys I had around me. They took me under their wing and talked to me each day. That really meant a lot and helped me stay focused."

That isn't to say Willis coasted through his first NFL campaign.

"I was exhausted at the end," said Willis, who was forced to play with a cast at mid-season after breaking his hand. "My thing is each time I step on the field, whether it's at practice or in a game, I want to give 100 percent. The coaches had to teach me how to practice (with less intensity)."

Staley also admits to being drained after taking every snap at right tackle.

"You're so used to being run down and tired all the time that you get used to it," Staley said. "Once you get away from football, you realize how exhausted you are and how much your body needs recovery time."

Staley said his transition to a 16-game NFL schedule was made easier from having played in 14 contests as a Central Michigan senior.

"I knew the rookie wall was coming, but football is something I absolutely love," said Staley, the first 49ers rookie offensive lineman to start every game in 39 seasons. "You like your body feeling sore. It builds mental toughness. I like being challenged like that."

Snap totals don't necessarily reflect the value of a specific position. For example, only one defensive tackle (Tennessee's Tony Brown) and one running back (Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook) appeared on at least 80 percent of their team's plays in 2007.

McCloughan, though, said participation totals factored into San Francisco's decision to sign Clements and Justin Smith to massive free-agent contracts. Smith had the NFL's highest snap percentage for a defensive end (97.8) the past two seasons while playing for Cincinnati.

"When you invest top dollars in guys, durability and past injury history are huge factors," said McCloughan, whose team gave Smith a six-year, $45 million contract with $20 million guaranteed earlier this month.

"Justin and Nate clearly take care of themselves in the off-season. It also shows toughness to play through little nicks. After Week One if you're a starter, the chances are you're not going to be 100 percent (healthy) the rest of the year."

San Francisco left guard Larry Allen (who is expected to retire) and center Eric Heitmann also didn't miss a snap in 2007. But even with an NFL-best five players having perfect participation, the 49ers finished 5-11 largely because of an offense that McCloughan disdainfully says "couldn't get a first down."

Besides changing offensive coordinators this off-season by hiring Mike Martz, McCloughan hopes the extensive playing time Willis and Staley received as rookies will help accelerate a turnaround.

"It's definitely beneficial being in there," Staley said. "Getting all those reps in game-time situations gives you that much more of an opportunity to get better."