The story of Marcus Lattimore has been tracked by football fans all over the nation. Now, it will be even further discussed in the Bay Area after the San Francisco 49ers selected the South Carolina running back as the No. 131 overall selection in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Despite two severe knee injuries in college, Lattimore posted 38 rushing touchdowns in three seasons in the SEC.
Many draft experts had Lattimore as the top running back in this year's draft before he suffered a second major knee injury as a junior at South Carolina.
The 5-foot-11, 221-pound running back totaled 662 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012 before a season-ending injury on Oct. 27 that saw him tear three knee ligaments in a horrific injury.
Despite the setback, Lattimore kept a positive attitude throughout his rebab and was in communication with Frank Gore after the injury took place. Lattimore's former college teammate, Chris Culliver, put the two in touch.
"He's definitely an inspiration," Lattimore said of Gore, a player who he connected with this offseason. "He told me to keep that positive mindset."
The 49ers picked a quality running back in Lattimore with an impressive collegiate resume. The Gamecock running back is a player that could be one of the best mid-round picks of 2013 when it's all said and done. First, Lattimore will have to fully recover from his knee injuries to have an impact in 2013 and beyond.
"He's the best back in the draft," NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly said.
Lattimore has to get back to 100 percent to prove the analyst right, but is coming to San Francisco with a great attitude.
"This is agreat opportunity with a great organization and I can't wait to get there."
