I Told Hill, I’d Get a Pick

As the team jogged over to the practice field to begin stretching, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky made a funny comment to some of the other coaches while running on the field. “Hug your favorite player today, give your favorite player a hug!” he cracked with a smile.

A few minutes later, while the defensive and offensive players stretched across the field facing one another, cornerback Nate Clements laid out a challenge to Shaun Hill.

“If you throw it to my side I guarantee I’ll get at least one (interception),” Clements said with a big grin.

“You’re all just X’s to me,” Hill calmly replied.

“I have to be at least a big X!” Clements said immediately.

“No, you’re all just X’s to me. It doesn’t matter if Barry Sims is playing cornerback, you’re all just X’s to me,” Hill said, refusing to take Clements’ trash talking bait.

During the 11-on-11 portion of practice, Alex Smith connected on a nicely thrown 40-yard pass down the right sideline to wide receiver Josh Morgan, who beat undrafted rookie free agent Carlos Thomas on a go route.

On the first running play of the 11-on-11 work, Willis proved to be already in mid-season form as he got in the backfield but wasn’t allowed to bring down Gore. “Tackle-for-loss already?” he asked rhetorically after he two-hand touched Gore.

Later in practice, Clements made good on his promise for an interception by cutting off a Hill pass intended for wide receiver Maurice Price during 7-on-7 work. It appeared to be a miscommunication on the route between Hill and Price that allowed Clements to make a play on the ball.

Clements couldn’t help but laugh while running down the left sideline with the ball. After the play was over he said to Shaun, “I got ya!”

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