The first time Brandon Jacobs won a Super Bowl, he ballooned to 285 pounds and started losing his trademark leg strength for the New York Giants.
“We just relaxed, ate, took trips, had fun,” Jacobs recalled Tuesday. “My body wasn’t meant to be that big. But I still looked good.”
Jacobs, now coming off another Super Bowl-winning season with the Giants, wants his 6-foot-4 frame to look better than ever when he makes his 49ers debut this season.
His goal: weigh less than 260 pounds for the first time in his eight-year career – and for the first time since a college coach threatened to move him to defensive end if he eclipsed that weight limit.
“I’m training 10 times harder than I’ve ever trained,” said Jacobs, listing himself at 266 to 267 pounds. “I’m trying to get my body back to where it used to be, get strength in my legs, because that was the weak point in me the last couple years.”
Jacobs spent the past seven seasons rushing for the most touchdowns in New York Giants history – 56. He won two Super Bowls, in the 2007 and 2011 seasons. Then he bolted for the 49ers on a one-year, $1.575 million deal.
Jacobs is slated to complement a backfield with starter Frank Gore and speedy youngsters Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James. But first, Jacobs wants to drop 10 more pounds. He’s adopted a carb-cutting diet and embraced the 49ers’ conditioning program.
A 1,000-yard rusher in both 2007 and 2008, Jacobs ran for only 571 yards last season and averaged 3.8 yards per carry. He tallied 835 and 823 yards in 2009 and 2010.
“My legs weren’t as strong, my balance wasn’t as good as it needed to be,” Jacobs said. “I want to play down in the (2)50s for basically the first time in my career. I don’t think it’s far fetched.”
– Center Jonathan Goodwin, who joined the 49ers last year, spoke for the first time about the bounty scandal that has enveloped his former team, the New Orleans Saints. Goodwin was “shocked” to hear an audio tape of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams imploring players to injure the 49ers before their Jan. 14 playoff game.
“I know Gregg teaches them to be physical and aggressive, but from (last season’s) games, I don’t remember anything that was over the line and stands out,” said Goodwin, who also expressed surprise at some penalties levied against the Saints by the NFL.
– Cornerback Tarell Brown reiterated a weekend vow he made on Twitter: He plans on leading the league in interceptions this season, and if he fails, he’ll donate a week’s pay to his foundations that support underprivileged youths, single mothers and convicted felons.
“This being my second year as a starter, gaining the confidence that I got from last year playing well, it’s always been in the back of my head,” Brown said of his interception goal.
While he had a career-high four interceptions in 16 starts last season, Brown said he dropped just as many potential interceptions and cited three such plays against Tampa Bay.
– Second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick is trying to quicken his release but insisted that coaches aren’t overhauling his throwing motion. He said he feels “leaps and bounds” more comfortable with the offense than a year ago.
– Wide receiver Randy Moss continues to impress, although his quarterbacks didn’t do him many favors. Both Kaepernick and Alex Smith overthrew Moss on deep routes. Moss, in a two-minute drill, later caught a 35-yard pass by Smith after it hung up in the breeze.
– Not present at the voluntary session: wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham, tight end Vernon Davis, right tackle Anthony Davis, safety Donte Whitner, cornerback Chris Culliver and unsigned safety Dashon Goldson (franchise tagged).
– Moss and Kyle Williams worked primarily with the first-string offense, as did A.J. Jenkins, who’s done “a tremendous job” improving since the rookie minicamp, according to receivers coach John Morton.
