Very quietly, without fanfare, DeAndre Smelter worked his tail off behind the scenes during the first half of the San Francisco 49ers season.
The rookie wide receiver spent several hours each day training with the team’s medical staff to rehab the torn ACL that he suffered during his senior season at Georgia Tech. Now almost a full year after the injury took place in December of 2014, Smelter is back on the football field.
San Francisco opened the three-week practice window for their fourth-round pick on Monday. The 49ers now have 21 days to decide if they want to activate him to the 53-man roster or place him on the season-ending Injured Reserve List.