The San Francisco 49ers are a long way from recapturing past glory — a perfect 5 for 5 in Super Bowls between 1981 and 1994.

Three years ago, the 49ers were 2-14 under coach Dennis Erickson.

Enter Mike Nolan and San Francisco is starting to take steps toward respectability.

In 2005, the 49ers went 4-12. This season, they surprised some by going 7-9.

"He's definitely a leader," said 49er cornerback Walt Harris, who will play in his first Pro Bowl Saturday. "He's been there for us all the time. He focuses on the here and now. Right now it's time for us to expect to win and get wins under our belts."

The 49ers have a young nucleus on offense.

Quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005, made great strides this season.

He completed 257 of 442 passes for 2,810 yards and 16 touchdowns, starting all 16 games.

"Alex Smith is good. He's shown improvement from last season and he did great," running back Frank Gore said.

Gore did pretty well himself, making the Pro Bowl in his second season. He rushed for 1,695 yards and caught a team-leading 61 passes for 485 yards.

Tight end Vernon Davis, a 2006 first-round pick, caught 20 passes for 265 yards in an injury-plagued season.

"As a team, we're young," Gore said. "We just have to keep growing and keep working and we'll be all right."

ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mort-ensen said he can see a difference in the 49ers.

"The thing about the 49ers that distinguishes them, they have gotten better in personnel the last couple of years, that was No. 1," he said. "The other thing is they are physically and mentally tougher than they were before Mike Nolan arrived."

San Francisco linebacker Jeff Ulbrich and defensive tackle Isa'ako Sopoaga are University of Hawai'i alums. Ulbrich, a seventh-year pro, recorded 64 tackles this season, while Sopoaga, a four-year veteran, had 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.