Football player with LD named 49ers 3rd quarterback

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The 49ers made their choice for No. 3 quarterback on Sept. 1, going with callow youth over graying veteran.

Late in the afternoon, the club waived 36-year-old Damon Huard, leaving the order of succession Shaun Hill, Alex Smith and rookie Nate Davis (pictured).

As the move was made more than two hours after the conclusion of practice, neither coach Mike Singletary nor Davis was available for comment.

In an interview with The Chronicle last week, Davis said, "I would like to be No. 3. I just want to do what's best for the team. If that's practice squad, that's what I'll do to help the team."

However, seeing Davis play Saturday night in Dallas apparently convinced the coaches that this rookie was a cut above practice squad fodder. Davis displayed veteran calm in completing 10 of 15 passes for 132 yards.

For Davis, the "ah-ha!" moment came when he coolly sidestepped the rush to fire a 19-yard pass to tight end Joe Jon Finley down to the 1-yard line to set up a touchdown.

That's something natural to the quarterback position that can't be taught.

"The fact he can take the ball ... and find a guy who is open and complete, it has been very, very refreshing," offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said. "I have been very pleased with the way he plays. What has been really important and delightful is that he just goes and plays."

Raye noted that Davis did not get a lot of work early in training camp because all the snaps were taken by Hill and Smith in their competition for the starting job.

"To be where he is with the kind of work he has gotten, we are very pleased with that," Raye said.

The 49ers drafted Davis in the fifth round from Ball State, well aware of the fact he had a dyslexia-like learning disability that makes reading comprehension difficult for him.

In each of the first three exhibition games, Davis was given a package of plays that required shorter calls at the line of scrimmage with a limited number of formations and motions.

"But other than that, we give him the same rack of plays going into the game," Raye said. "We may cut down some of the things that are a little more difficult for him to call."

Davis is expected to receive substantial playing time Friday night in San Diego in the final preseason game.

As for Huard, a 13-year veteran who has been with Miami, New England and Kansas City, Singletary praised his professionalism in the time he was with the club.