With a touchdown catch against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, Vernon Davis would break a 49ers record that has stood for more than 35 years.

Somehow, though, Ted Kwalick will cope.
“I didn’t even know I had a record,” he said with a laugh.
Kwalick had nine touchdown catches in 1972, a season mark for 49ers tight ends. He was sure that Brent Jones had broken it, but Jones only tied it in 1994.
Davis added his name to the nine-TD club last week, continuing an astounding breakout season for the former No. 6 overall pick. With five games remaining, including Sunday’s game at Qwest Field, his place as the 49ers’ lone record-holder seems assured.
That’s fine with Kwalick, who lives in Santa Clara. For one thing, he is a Davis fan and admires the athleticism he brings to the position.
For another, Kwalick has a profound appreciation for Davis’ difficult career path.
He, too, was a ballyhooed first-round draft pick who failed to deliver in his early seasons. The 49ers took the All-American from Penn State with the No. 7 pick in 1969, but he had two catches as a rookie and only 10 the following season.
“I thought I would step in and play right away,” he said, “but the NFL is a rude awakening.”
Kwalick said teammate John Brodie once told him that tight end is the second-hardest position to learn, after quarterback. A tight end must learn not only the nuances of passing routes but also the blocking assignments for the running game.
Those two, along with receiver Gene Washington and other offensive players, would meet at Brodie’s house every Wednesday night to go over game film.
It took three seasons of study, but Kwalick’s light went on in 1971. And it all came together the following season. With Washington on the outside beating people deep, Kwalick sprang loose for career highs in touchdowns, receiving yards (751) and average yards per catch (18.8).
“It takes a while to figure it out,” he said. “Maybe some guys can step in right away, but for the other 98 percent of us there is an adjustment period.”
Such a career progression might look familiar to Davis, now in his fourth season. On the verge of being labeled a bust as a playmaker, he suddenly has emerged as one of the NFL’s premier tight ends.
Davis has 670 receiving yards, which ranks third in the league at his position. His receiving-touchdowns total gives him a share of the NFL lead with the Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald and the Colts’ Reggie Wayne.
With a month to go in the season, Davis is on pace to tie the NFL season mark for most touchdowns by a tight end. Antonio Gates had 13 in 2004.
“Vernon Davis has been spectacular all season,” coach Mike Singletary said after Davis had a team-high 69 yards and a touchdown Sunday. “Today. Last week. The week before that. I mean, pick a week.”
Davis, in turn, credits Singletary. It was during a game against the Seahawks last season that the coach banished him to the sideline as a prelude to his famous “I Want Winners” tirade.
On that day, the public got a sampling of the wrath Davis faced on a daily basis. He recalled this week that Singletary was “always in my face,” which is not something Davis particularly enjoyed.
“It burns me up,” Davis said. “But at the end of the day, it works. He saw something in me, and he wanted to bring it out.”
Now, he is on the verge of a record Kwalick has owned for longer than any current 49er has been alive.
Kwalick, who played for the Raiders from 1975-77, may or may not be watching at the time of the historic score. He is busy these days, as the founder and president of ProTech Voltage Systems in Santa Clara, and when he has time to watch a game, it’s usually to see his youngest daughter, Noel, playing for the Santa Clara High volleyball team.
Kwalick finished his NFL career with 168 grabs. But when it comes to the record, he’s ready to let go.
“I have a feeling Vernon is going to score a lot more touchdowns,” he said.