SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Vernon Davis acknowledged that last season was a nadir for him in his career, and the San Francisco 49ers tight end is looking forward to making amends, so to speak, on the field this year.
Attending all of the Niners' offseason workouts this summer was a step in that direction, he inferred, as was his letting go of a financial advisor who recommended he sit out last summer in hopes of getting a new contract.
That plan, obviously, did not work.
"I fired that person because he, he worships money," Davis said Friday as the Niners' veterans reported to their facility for the start of training camp, which begins with a Saturday night semi-public practice.
"That's not what I worship."
Davis, who would not disclose the fired advisor's name, was coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2013 in which he averaged a career high-tying 16.3 yards per reception on 52 catches while matching his career high with 13 touchdowns. But after sitting out all of last summer, failing to earn a $200,000 workout bonus while wracking up $70,000 in fines for missing the mandatory minicamp, per CSNBayArea.com, he was a non-factor last season. His 26 catches were the fewest since his rookie year of 2006 and his two TDs were a career low.
In fact, he was not targeted in the red zone after Week 1.
"Last year I had a lot of people in my ear, particularly I had an advisor who kept telling me, 'Hey, you should try to get another contract,'" Davis said. "And as my fiduciary, I feel like he was right about a lot of things, so I listened to him. I took his advice.
"But during the course of that season, I had a chance to really think about it: What am I doing? I don't play this game for money. That's not why I play… I had to take a step back and look at some of the things that I was doing, and some of the people that I was listening to. But I don't play this game for money; I play for the love of the game. I play for the moment … I was actually doing something just so I could get paid. But that's not who I am."
Indeed, Davis at times last season seemed more worried about his portfolio -- you could buy actual stock in Davis -- than his on-field product.
Now, though, the 31-year-old feels rejuvenated. Like a rookie. And if his skillset has not diminished, that should be a good thing for the 49ers as they attempt to rebound from last season's rocky 8-8 campaign.
"Vernon's a huge weapon for this football team," left tackle Joe Staley said. "We'd be stupid not to utilize all the things he can do for us on the football field.
"Last year was just a jumbled mess in a lot of different areas."
Perhaps none more for the Niners than at tight end.
"When you look at the season we had last year as a team, I think overall no one really did well, from a coaching standpoint, as well as players," Davis said. "It happens. It happens. But, it's done. It's over."
Source: Vernon Davis: I don't worship money
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