SAN FRANCISCO — On Sept. 25, 2005, only nine months after he led Troy (Ala.) University to its first bowl game — the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose — DeMarcus Ware returned to the Bay Area as a pro in search of another first.
On that day, at the old Monster Park, a.k.a. Candlestick, Ware got it, wrapping his arms around then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Tim Rattay. It was the first sack of Ware's NFL career.
"I remember they left a tight end on me by myself. I beat him underneath, and I saw the quarterback and was able to sack him," Ware said, his eyes growing wide as he recalled the scene as a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys.