SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As devastated as Ian Williams felt two years ago when he went undrafted out of Notre Dame, he can now look back on that moment and realize how much the rejection meant to his career. He landed with the San Francisco 49ers, and is the leading candidate to win the starting nose tackle job for the NFC champions as he begins his third NFL season. "It hurt, but looking back at it, it was probably the best situation that could have ever happened," Williams said after a recent practice. "I was a young kid, expecting this, expecting that. It kind of put me back to my place, and coming here and getting back to work really propelled me to where I am now. "I lost sight of the goal that I set. Drastic things usually get you back on track." The expectations for Williams are high heading into the teams exhibition opener Thursday night at home in Candlestick Park against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. San Francisco lost both its starter and backup at the position to free agency this spring, leaving Williams and veteran newcomer lineman Glenn Dorsey to push each other in training camp -- yet Williams has more experience. Dorsey could spend some time at defensive end, too. Williams prepared himself for this opportunity by losing 25 pounds from his previous playing weight during the off-season, bringing him down to 305 and right where he hopes to stay this season. Defensive co-ordinator Vic Fangio has noticed an improvement in Williams agility and quick step off the snap. "I can feel a great difference. We havent been in a game yet, but just being out in practice and working out here just really got me ready and going against our O-line the past two years has really gotten me ready for what I have in front of me," Williams said. "Toward the end of the season it gets cold out here and its hard to sweat and youre still eating two or three times a day, so its hard to lose weight. Then the off-season came and I worked hard, I stayed here." To this day, Fangio cant point to exactly why Williams wasnt drafted. Perhaps his 6-foot-1 height caused NFL teams to shy away. "Every year you see that happen. Why wasnt he drafted at least in the seventh round the year he came out? I dont know," Fangio said. "I dont know if there were some questions about his work habits. Obviously, hes on the short side as most D-linemen go. I dont have a good answer for you there. Trust me, he should have been drafted." Williams, with shoulder-length braids, has played in four games total. That hasnt kept the 49ers from believing he is ready to take on a starting role. And Williams always stayed upbeat as he paid his dues buried on the depth chart and regularly inactive for game days during his first two seasons. "It was vital to where I am right now," he said. "Just coming into a good situation and having a veteran crew around me and guys who really took me under their wing and taught me even though I was coming in to compete at the position, I really came into a great situation." In March, that situation became even better when Williams received a two-year contract extension carrying him through the 2015 season. That vote of confidence meant a lot to Williams, who has seven career tackles as he approaches his 24th birthday later this month. "I really wasnt worried about getting paid for the contact. It just showed me that I had to get back to work and work even harder," he said. "Tasting the Super Bowl and getting that close to a ring, to a victory, that got me hungry. The contract extension got me even hungrier. Im not even worried about all that. Im just trying to come back, compete, work and try to get back to another Super Bowl." Williams keeps in touch with both Isaac Sopoaga, now with the Eagles, and Colts defensive lineman Jean Francois. He tries to learn from Justin Smith and Ray McDonald each day. He also appreciates regular feedback from linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. "Its really his knack for being able to move. A lot of times people think nose guards are guys that are just big and just hold a point," Willis said. "But hes a guy that if you single him he can beat you 1-on-1. If you double-team he can hold the point. As a middle linebacker, thats what you love to see." Notes: The 49ers signed P Colton Schmidt to a three-year deal and waived WR Charly Martin. ... In Thursdays game, Demarcus Dobbs is slated to start in place of Justin Smith as the All-Pro Smith nurses an injured finger. Fangio also said Craig Dahl, the former Rams S signed to a three-year contract in March to help fill the void of Dashon Goldsons departure, will start at free safety and rookie Eric Reid will enter later. Air Jordan 6 Retro Cheap . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Air Jordan 6 Wholesale . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. http://www.cheapairjordan6.net/ . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. Air Jordan 6 Retro For Sale . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Cheap Jordan Retro 6 For Sale . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. DOVER, Del. -- Martin Truex Jr.?endured season after empty season as other drivers hoisted trophies and celebrated championships, and he wondered if he was running out of time to become a winner.Bad cars, bad teams, bad luck.Whatever the cause, Truex was a journeyman driver seemingly doomed to a mediocre career. Now, what quantifies as a downer in Truexs career rebirth is that he failed to actually sweep the first round of the Chase -- but two of three is pretty dominant.Were not messing around, I guess, Truex said. We are here to get it done.Truexs late-season surge extended Sunday at Dover International Speedway, where he captured his second victory in the first three Chase races. Truex won for the fourth time this season in the No. 78 Toyota and paired this Chase win with his opening victory at Chicagoland.Kind of a bonus win, crew chief Cole Pearn said. We didnt need it all.Well, plenty of other Chase drivers did.Tony Stewart finished 13th, and the three-time NASCAR champion was knocked out of contention in the first elimination race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.Chris Buescher and Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray also dropped out of the Chase. The field was sliced from 16 drivers to 12.Austin Dillon finished eighth and moved from outside the points cutoff of the Chase to a transfer spot and advanced to the next round.Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch joined Truex and Dillon in the next round that opens at Charlotte Motor Speedway.Kyle Busch was second, followed by Elliott, Keselowski, Kenseth and Logano -- the only five other cars that finished on the lead lap.Truex won his first career Cup race at Dover in 2007 and didnt win again until 2013. But his career took off in 2015, his second year at Furniture Row Racing, and he used a win at Pocono last year to make the Chase and become one of four drivers racing for the championship in the finale.His career absolutely exploded with FRR and Toyota this season. Truex led a stunning 392 laps in a Coca-Cola 600 victory and then won at Darlington just two races before the Chase opened. He has led at least 140 laps in three of the last four races.The last month has just been ridiculous, he said.Harvick won last week at New Hampshire and was the only other driver to earn an automatic berth in the second round.ddddddddddddHere are other items of note from Dover:SMOKE OUTStewart, the 2002, 2005 and 2011 Cup champion, will retire at the end of the season without a fourth championship.Ill tell you one thing, this one race, whatever happens, is not going to define the season this team has, Stewart told his team over the radio.He fell just short of keeping a drive for four alive.We kept making it better all day. That is as good as we had, he said.GANASSI GAFFESGanassi went from two Chase drivers to none.Larsons race turned into a disaster early when the No. 42 Chevrolet lost power. His Chevy was pushed to pit road and a battery was changed. He then had to serve a pass-through penalty for having too many crew members over the wall during the pit stop.Larson, one of the top young drivers in the sport, had held the final transfer spot entering the race.Jamie McMurray saw his Chase end at Dover for the second straight season. He battled problems in the No. 1 Chevy for most of the race before his engine blew near the halfway point. McMurray was 13th and hoped to race his way into the next round. He held the final transfer spot heading into last years race and lost his spot to Dale Earnhardt Jr.FIRST TO (ALMOST) WORSTHarvick had to take a deep breath and be thankful that he won last week at New Hampshire, or he would have faced sure elimination. Harvicks No. 4 Chevrolet had a broken track bar early in the race that sent the car to the garage. Harvick returned more than 40 laps off the pace and finished 37th. Harvick, the 2014 Sprint Cup champion, has never finished last in a race in his career.JUNIOR AND JEFFEarnhardt watched the race from atop the pit box for the first time because his season ended in July (concussion). Jeff Gordon finished 10th in Juniors regular 88 Chevrolet ride. Gordon, who had retired at the end of last season, has one more race left subbing for Earnhardt later this month at Martinsville.DOUBLE DIPDaniel Suarez won the Xfinity Series, delayed a day by rain, to kick off 600 miles of racing. NASCAR ran its first Xfinity-Cup doubleheader since April 25, 2010, at Talladega Superspeedway.UP NEXTThe second round of the Chase opens at Charlotte and Logano is the defending race winner. ' ' '