49ers Clubhouse

SFIllustrated

Plummer ready to bounce back vs. Bucs

January 11, 2003

By Craig Massei
Ahmed Plummer, San Francisco's shutdown cornerback, had one of the roughest games of his three-year career with the Niners during last week's playoff win against the New York Giants. But like any good cornerback, Plummer says he will leave that game behind him and be ready for the new challenge presented Sunday when the Niners travel to Tampa Bay for an NFC divisional playoff.
Q: Are there any lingering problems with your groin injury?
Plummer: I'm just going to keep playing. I'm not thinking about my groin. I'll do whatever I have to do so that I can play and be at the very best I can be at.
Q: What happened to you against the Giants?
Plummer: I just didn't get it done all the time. It's really uncharacteristic of me. I learn from my mistakes and I'm going to go back to the drawing board.
Q: After watching last week's game, you think the Bucs are thinking they can target No. 29 on Sunday?
Plummer: If that's what they want to do, I welcome the challenge. I never step down to any challenge. I'm ready for that to be the reaction, because that's what most teams do. I'm just going to go back to the drawing board and continue to work and be ready for the next challenge.
Q: What did you do different to adjust the last few series to shut down the Giants when it counted?
Plummer: Some of the balls they did catch on me earlier, I was right there but I wasn't finishing, I wasn't making the play. And being close in this league isn't good enough, because players are good and they are going to make those close plays. What I just tried to tell myself was to not try to put all the weight on my shoulders, thinking that I had to do everything. I just tried to do what I knew how to do.
Q: Are you eager now more than ever to get back out there against Tampa Bay?
Plummer: Oh, yeah. This game is so much fun, and you just want to do well and be the best that you can be. And whenever I don't play to my standards, it just drives me even more to get back out there and go back to the drawing board and see how much better I can get. Right now, it's all about business and getting back to the drawing board and getting better and going forward.

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By Craig Massei

Ahmed Plummer, San Francisco's shutdown cornerback, had one of the roughest games of his three-year career with the Niners during last week's playoff win against the New York Giants. But like any good cornerback, Plummer says he will leave that game behind him and be ready for the new challenge presented Sunday when the Niners travel to Tampa Bay for an NFC divisional playoff.

Q: Are there any lingering problems with your groin injury?

Plummer: I'm just going to keep playing. I'm not thinking about my groin. I'll do whatever I have to do so that I can play and be at the very best I can be at.

Q: What happened to you against the Giants?

Plummer: I just didn't get it done all the time. It's really uncharacteristic of me. I learn from my mistakes and I'm going to go back to the drawing board.

Q: After watching last week's game, you think the Bucs are thinking they can target No. 29 on Sunday?

Plummer: If that's what they want to do, I welcome the challenge. I never step down to any challenge. I'm ready for that to be the reaction, because that's what most teams do. I'm just going to go back to the drawing board and continue to work and be ready for the next challenge.

Q: What did you do different to adjust the last few series to shut down the Giants when it counted?

Plummer: Some of the balls they did catch on me earlier, I was right there but I wasn't finishing, I wasn't making the play. And being close in this league isn't good enough, because players are good and they are going to make those close plays. What I just tried to tell myself was to not try to put all the weight on my shoulders, thinking that I had to do everything. I just tried to do what I knew how to do.

Q: Are you eager now more than ever to get back out there against Tampa Bay?

Plummer: Oh, yeah. This game is so much fun, and you just want to do well and be the best that you can be. And whenever I don't play to my standards, it just drives me even more to get back out there and go back to the drawing board and see how much better I can get. Right now, it's all about business and getting back to the drawing board and getting better and going forward.

Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.