With the No. 182 overall pick in the sixth-round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 49ers have picked tight end Nate Byham out of Pittsburgh.
Byham just spoke with local reporters moments after being picked. Here's the transcript of his conference call.
On whether he knows a few players on the current 49ers roster:"Yes, I've got a few friends over there."
On how close he is to some of the players on the 49ers roster:"I'm pretty good friends with them. I was actually golfing with [LB] Scott McKillop last week. We went golfing last Thursday. I was actually lifting weights with [CB] Shawntae Spencer three days ago."
On whether those guys talked to him about being drafted by the 49ers:"Yes, actually I talked to Scott about it in the past. He said that hopefully it would work out and I could be a 49er. He said I'm coming into a great system with a great coaching staff and a coach like [Head] Coach [Mike] Singletary. I'm so happy to be a part of that program."
On run blocking being his forte:"That's what I pride myself on. I like to bloody noses. I don't shy away from contact. I'm going into the hole and I'm trying to hit somebody. I think that's what makes me unique. There's not too many tight ends these days that want to go in there and try to hurt somebody. I'm trying to inflict pain when I'm in there as a tight end. I'm not trying to get in someone's way. I'm excited to be a part of the hard-nose offense."
On what he knows about tight end Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker:"I know about Vernon Davis. Obviously, he's a big time tight end who is a great, great receiver and he's very fast. I know he's a pretty good blocker himself. I know he doesn't shy away from contact either, which I think will make us a good group."
On what makes him relish being a hard-nose player:"That's something I pride myself on. I've had coaches like [University of Pittsburgh Head] Coach Dave Wannstedt and others all throughout high school, as well those who pride themselves on old school, hard-nose football teams who play defense and run the ball. I've been a part of these top programs all my life. We've always prided ourselves in being able to run the ball and I always pride myself on making holes for great running backs that I've been blocking for."
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On whether he has met with tight ends coach Pete Hoener:**"I have not."
On which 49ers officials he met with:"I think I just talked to the actual scouts at the combine. I actually haven't had a whole lot of contact with the 49ers as of today. It's been a great surprise and I couldn't be more happy about it."
On whether he took any visits:"I did not. I just did a lot of workouts here. I never took any visits."
On who won the golf outing when he played with linebacker Scott McKillop:"I think my team went -6. It was a scramble so I think we took Scott."
On whether he inflicted any pain in the golf outing:"No, I may try and get in there. There's a good chance Scott and I could be bumping heads in practice. That will be nice, like old times."
On his upbringing:"I was raised by my grandfather. I've never met my father and my mom has had a lot of drug and alcohol issues and a lot of personal issues all throughout my life. I've been in and out of a lot of houses. A lot of close friends have helped me out. I've always been with my grandfather. He's been my rock and he's taken care of me. He's sitting next to me now. It's a great feeling for both of us. We're both very proud. This is a great moment for us."
On what his grandfathers name is:"Ron Byham."
On his current location:"I'm actually at my girlfriend's house right outside of Pittsburgh."
On his itinerary:"I have two finals this week. I have a final on Tuesday and Wednesday and I'm going to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh. Once I get that done I'm ready to start focusing on football. "
On what his degree is in:"I'm a major in communications rhetoric and a minor in computer science."
