SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- At the end of last season, Doug Smith never imagined his son would play for the San Francisco 49ers again, not after hearing the quarterback get booed out of Candlestick Park and yet another coaching change on the way.
Alex Smith sat down with his father -- a former Weber State student and sibling to current WSU coach John L. Smith -- to seek advice ahead of free agency. The 2005 No. 1 overall pick was intrigued by new coach Jim Harbaugh, an offensive guru at Stanford and a former NFL quarterback who embraced Smith instantly.
Still, the quarterback had his apprehensions about staying in San Francisco.