Niners sit Smith down and put Rattay back in

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Tim Rattay will be the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback for the season opener, reclaiming his job from No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith after just two preseason games.

Coach Mike Nolan announced the decision Tuesday at the conclusion of the 49ers' first full practice following the death of offensive lineman Thomas Herrion, who collapsed in the locker room in Denver on Saturday night.

With a memorial service scheduled for the evening, the players and coaches seemed grateful to focus on something other than their grief and mourning — and Smith, Herrion's college teammate and friend for two years at Utah, was able to put his first pro disappointment in sharp perspective.

"I know how this works," Smith said. "This is a team game. This isn't all about me. I think the team wants to win now. We expect to win now, and as of right now, this looks like the right decision. Hopefully, I keep getting better and keep pushing it. Who knows what happens in the future, but right now, I understand it."

Smith struggled as the 49ers' starter in their first two preseason games, while Rattay was outstanding as the backup. Rattay started nine games for San Francisco last season in his only season as a first-stringer, but struggled all season with three injuries.

Smith's job status wasn't his greatest concern Tuesday. He was still coping with the loss of Herrion, one of the first players Smith met when the quarterback arrived at Utah in 2002. They became friends, starting together on the Mountain West Conference championship team the next season.

"It was great to always have him around," Smith said. "No matter what mood you are, if you saw him, he's always going to make you smile. He's a guy who was never down, always upbeat. He's singing, he's telling jokes. He always had that big grin on his face. He's a guy you would love to have around."

Herrion protected his quarterback one more time last week, jumping up to sing along with the rookie in a rousing rendition of Utah's fight song before a team meeting. After seeing Herrion's collapse in the locker room in Denver, Smith knows he'll be shaken for quite a while.

"It's so unfortunate, knowing him and his background, and his family, and knowing what he was trying to do, the kind of person he was," Smith said. "It really makes you think. It makes you reflect on a lot of things.

"It makes going 2-for-7 pretty insignificant in the big scheme of things."