Season of redemption for 49ers QB Smith

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- He wasn't supposed to be here, one game from the Super Bowl, not after the criticism, the boos and time on injured reserve.

Then again, as the first player picked in the 2005 NFL draft, a quarterback chosen to lead the San Francisco 49ers, Alex Smith was supposed to be here, facing the Giants on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park.

This is Smith's season of redemption. He has showed what he can do with new coach Jim Harbaugh, a quarterback himself, and with the proper offense, the West Coast system made famous by the late Bill Walsh.

Also what could be done with the proper attitude.

"When I was young,'' Smith said recently, "I just tried to please everybody. I was, 'Man, I'm going to prove it to everybody.' And not just the media and the fans, but my teammates, coaches. And I'm going to do it on every single play . . . Now? I don't really care.''

Smith was in the same Helix High backfield as Reggie Bush. Smith went on to Utah, playing for Urban Meyer in the spread, accumulating honors athletically and academically. He joined the Niners for $31 million, a figure that became more newsworthy as Smith became newsworthy for his failings.

Quarterbacks never are given much leeway, unless such as Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger, they've earned it. And quarterbacks in San Francisco, where Joe Montana won four Super Bowls and Steve Young won one, are held to a higher standard that Smith -- in the eyes of the fans, at least -- never could meet.

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Until this season. Until last weekend when Smith, now 27, drove the Niners down the field and reminiscent of Montana to Dwight Clark in the 1982 playoffs, hit Vernon Davis in the end zone with 9 seconds to play to beat New Orleans in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Had you asked about Smith before the season, the one-word response, fair or not, would have been "bust.'' No longer. He's the new Montana, although if it were up to his family, in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa, Smith, without a contract after last year, wouldn't even returned to the agony of the Niners.

He played under seven different offensive coordinators, one of whom, his first, Mike McCarthy became head coach of the Packers, where his quarterback is Aaron Rodgers. Greg Roman is now the 49ers coordinator.

Asked if he were playing with the proverbial chip on his shoulder, Smith said: "I guess I kind of feel the whole team has been playing like that.''

The Niners hadn't had a winning year or been in the playoffs since 2002.

"I don't know how many wins we were picked to have at the beginning of this season, but it wasn't many,'' he said. "Now we have a chance to go to the Super Bowl. That's all we wanted.''

Alex Smith of 2011 is all the Niners wanted.