Five quarterbacks were selected ahead of Colin Kaepernick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
The 49ers signal-caller won't soon forget this fact.
One of those teams that took a quarterback, the Tennessee Titans, will host Kaepernick and the 49ers this Sunday.
Kaepernick said he worked out for Tennessee before the draft, but the Titans ultimately selected Jake Locker with the No. 10 overall selection. The 49ers later traded up into the second round to take Kaepernick No. 36 overall.
"I thought I was someone they were interested in," Kaepernick said when asked to recall his pre-draft relationship with the Titans. "Whether it was then or later, I didn't know, but it's in the past now."
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Kaepernick thought his visit with Tennessee coach Mike Munchak went well, but he didn't remember too much about the encounter.
Munchak spoke highly of San Francisco's quarterback. Kaepernick watched tape with the Titans coaches before the draft and impressed his Sunday opponents with his attitude and desire to succeed.
Munchak also shared his reaction to Kaepernick's stature.
"Stood out for his size," the Titans coach said in recalling the pre-draft meeting. "'My gosh, this is a man.'"
Munchak's team will now have to defend Kaepernick and slow down his production to stop a two-game losing streak.
If Tennessee's coach had his way, Kaepernick would be forced to stay in the pocket and abandon his running ability.
"I don't think he should run," Munchak said. "You don't want a quarterback running too much. You're not going to hold up – I don't care who you are. The less he runs probably the better. He'll run enough being in the picket and buying time."
Munchak will have his defense focused on adjusting running lanes in the event Kaepernick takes off from the pocket.
San Francisco's quarterback only rushed four times for 18 yards in last week's 32-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
"I hope he continues not to run against us," Munchak said. "He's a big-time weapon."
Kaepernick is more focused on the defense he'll play than the personnel men that picked Locker to be their franchise quarterback.
"Their defense as a whole is a good defense," Kaepernick said. "They play fast. They play hard. They know what they're doing."
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