NFL free agent success story Dan Dercher counts his blessings every day -- especially Mondays.
"I'm always excited on payday. It's $11,000 every Monday," said Dercher, a 6-foot-5, 293-pound first-year member of the San Francisco 49ers.
The 23-year-old second-team left and right offensive tackle out of Kansas University beat some big odds this summer by making the Niners' roster.
He played three downs in San Francisco's 41-3 season-opening loss at Jacksonville.
"I was scared. I won't lie," Dercher said. "It was a little different from a preseason game. It was big -- the regular season. I went against Tony Brackens (second-leading sacker in Jaguars' history) three times. One time I took him to the ground."
Dercher was flying high all day as the only undrafted player to make the Niners' 1999 roster.
"When I was a little kid, I always said I wanted to play pro football. People would say, 'Ha ha,''' said Dercher, a native of Mission. "This is all gravy on top of everything that's happened."
An all-stater at Miege High School, Dercher went from a reserve at defensive end to starting left tackle on offense midway through the his junior season -- coach Terry Allen's first year at KU.
"Coach Allen asked me to move. If not for him I'd be selling peanuts at Memorial Stadium," Dercher said. "I was a decent defensive end. I had more skills to play offense.
"I did enjoy defense more. You can sack quarterbacks and make tackles. I'll take the money any day over those kind of things."
Dercher, who has a two-year contract, will make about $190,000 -- this year. He could earn up to $300,000 if the Niners win the Super Bowl.
"Now that I'm on the team, I want to focus on staying on the team," Dercher said. "The NFL is a tough job. Every day I've got to show the coaches I'm trying to improve, get bigger, better and stronger. If not, you could get released or put on the practice squad."
That is not likely to happen. The Niners have shown how much they think of Dercher, who impressed scouts by his play in the East-West Shrine Bowl following his senior season at KU.
Pursued by 10 teams, Dercher signed with San Francisco last April 23, moments after the NFL Draft concluded.
He received the highest signing bonus ever given to a Niner free agent.
"Bill Walsh told me he was the reason they didn't draft me," Dercher said. "He wanted to go with defense in the draft. Coach (Steve) Mariucci and the offensive line caoch kept calling me. They said, 'If you come here, you have an opportunity to make this team.' That's all I was looking for.
"After the final cuts, coach Mariucci said, 'Congratulations, Dan, we're excited to have you. Now put a blanket on the weight bench. We want you to eat and sleep right here.'''
Dercher doesn't have to put on 50 pounds or anything like that.
"One thing that's great ... they like their offensive linemen to look like athletes," Dercher said. "There are some big, fat slobs who play offensive line. Ray Brown is our biggest guy. He's 315, 320 and chiseled. He came in as a 230-pound tight end and built himself up.
"In this offense the linemen have to be able to move. I like the offense. It's West Coast, not grind it out three yards and a cloud of dust. There's a lot of movement, using the great receivers."
The Niners were down, but not out, after their Week One disaster at Jacksonville, Dercher notes. San Francisco plays host to New Orleans on Sunday.
"We got our lunch handed to us," Dercher said. "We should have been up at halftime. They got a fumble for a touchdown and after that it went downhill. Steve Young probably had his worst game in five years. It was a wake-up call for us."
Before Dercher's daily wake up call, he pinches himself to see if he's dreaming.
"I love living in San Francisco," Dercher said. "It's great to make a lot of money playing the sport you love. I'm not stupid going out and spending all of it. I'll save it, invest some of it. I'm not gonna go out and buy three pink Cadillacs," he said with a laugh.
-- Gary Bedore's phone number is 832-7186. His e-mail address is gbedore@ljworld.com
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