Eric Branch, SAN FRANCISCO GATE
SAN FRANCISCO (SFGate.com)—The last big play of the Jim Harbaugh era resulted in a fitting gift for the pigskin-obsessed head coach: a football.
After Craig Dahl sealed the 49ers’ 20-17 win over Arizona with a late-game interception in the season finale Sunday afternoon, the safety ran to Harbaugh on the sideline and offered him the prize, along with a few heartfelt words.
“Congratulations,” Dahl said to Harbaugh. “Thank you, coach.”
Moments later, as the final seconds ticked down, linebacker Nick Moody and wide receiver Quinton Patton dumped the contents of a Gatorade tub on Harbaugh, the head coach who clearly had a far healthier relationship with his players than with the front office.
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