The San Francisco 49ers announced on Tuesday that former NFL linebacker Parys Haralson has been named director of player engagement.

"Parys is a young man who represented himself and our organization very well, both on and off the field," general manager Trent Baalke said. "Less than two years removed from the game, Parys has great knowledge of what players experience in today's NFL and what is needed for them to be successful in their professional and personal lives. We look forward to our team benefitting from his insight and support."

Under Haralson's direction, player engagement will continue to develop programs designed to assist players in making a smooth transition in and out of professional football as well as life skills development, financial education, post career and occupational development, continued education and degree completion.

A nine-year NFL veteran, Haralson played in 118 games (88 starts) and registered 380 tackles, 28 sacks, five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and five passes defensed. He was originally drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round (140th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. In seven seasons with the 49ers, Haralson played in 86 games (68 starts) and tallied 295 tackles, 21.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and four passes defensed.

Haralson attended the University of Tennessee and finished his collegiate career ranked fifth in school history with 21 sacks. He graduated from Tennessee in 2006 and is current working towards his MBA from the University of Miami.