Anthony Dixon, like many of his teammates on the San Francisco 49ers, can't help but sport an ear-to-ear grin on his face these days.
The third-year running back has been throwing people off with just how happy he's been ever since the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons and advanced to the franchise's sixth Super Bowl.
"It's like this happy feeling you get inside that you want to put on display all the time," Dixon said on Monday after San Francisco held a light practice, the first of Super Bowl preparations.
"Right now," began the 49ers running back as sweat dripped down the side of his face, "I feel like I'm walking around smiling all day and people are like, 'What's wrong with him?'
"I'm just that happy."
Similar sentiments were expressed by Dixon's teammates in a suddenly packed 49ers locker room. With a greater media presence in attendance to hear the players' initial thoughts on Super Bowl XLVII against the Baltimore Ravens, players did their best to acclimate themselves to the scene.
From here on out, it'll only multiply.
"I don't think we're ready, but we definitely have to be ready," admitted cornerback Tarell Brown, a soft-spoken player who lets his pads to most of his communication. "This is something that happens when you get to the Super Bowl, you get a lot of media coverage. You just have to soak it in, take it for what it's worth and stay focused on the task at hand."
Brown said he's already taking advantage of the two weeks of buildup before the Feb. 3 matchup in New Orleans.
"We're going to get a jump early and try to get as many tips and clues as possible," he said.
Two players missed Wednesday's workout for the 49ers. Starting outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (shoulder) and rookie tight end Garrett Celek (foot) were the only ones to miss the pad-less practice session taking place in overcast conditions.
Excitement might be at an all-time high inside San Francisco's locker room, but the same can be said for professionalism.
The many leaders on the 49ers roster are making sure the team's focus remains intact.
"Right now, I'm approaching it as every other week in the season," Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley said. "You have a job to do and you have to prepare the best way you can to help your team win. My job is to be the left tackle of our football team and I'm going to do the best job I can to make sure that position is taken care of."
In Staley's mind, handling increased media is just another part of dealing with adversity, something head coach Jim Harbaugh constantly stresses to the team.
"We talk about we're going to have adversity in games, we're going to have adverse situations in the week and we have to handle those," Staley said. "This is something we have to handle."
An increased spotlight won't do anything to change the character of the team. Vernon Davis believes the character of the locker room can handle the stage the team is now on.
"We have guys here who are not about themselves – they get happy for each other's success," said the 49ers tight end, who has averaged 110.5 yards per game in four postseason games, third-best in NFL postseason history and most among tight ends.
"That's what it's about," Davis added. "It's a team effort. That's why I enjoy being on this team, because we have guys like that."
Davis also has teammates that will take advantage of the extra prep time they'll have before next Sunday.
"You have to get ready preparing, watch film and make sure we're all on the same page when the game comes around," said Brown, who sees a much different Ravens team than the group that defeated the 49ers 16-6 in the 2011 regular season.
"They were more run-oriented last year," Brown detailed. "You could tell that in the game they took their shots against us, but I think they'll be more aggressive. They'll definitely come out and try to throw the ball around and have a balanced attack against us."
The 49ers are expecting the game of their lives, but they're also hopeful to see many of the team's Faithful fans make the trip to the Superdome.
"They're saying we're pretty much going to have the home crowd, so that's going to do us some good, too," Dixon said. "Hopefully we can get (our) kick-off song going up in there and really make it 49ers home."
