49ers’ Maxwell makes most of time abroad

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, July 06, 2007  |  Comments( 23 )

San Francisco 49ers
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NFL Europa is now officially defunct, but Marcus Maxwell is very much alive.

Assigned to the Hamburg Sea Devils this spring by the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted him as a seventh-round pick in 2005, the former University of Oregon wide receiver made the most of his opportunity, finishing second in the league in touchdown receptions (seven) and first in yards per catch (17).

Moreover, the 6-foot-4, 205-pounder put an exclamation mark on his European career in the league's final game, the World Bowl on June 23. Facing double coverage much of the time, Maxwell snagged five passes from batterymate Casey Bramlett for 127 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-27 victory over Frankfurt.

Now, Maxwell feels ready to compete for playing time on a 49ers receiving corps that includes Darrell Jackson, Arnaz Battle, Ashley Lelie, Brandon Williams and draftee Jason Hill. His goal now, he told Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle, is to somehow maintain his playing edge into August workouts.

"I feel like my body's in football mode now," Maxwell said.

As a college player, the native of Hercules, Calif., was an enigma. Blessed with good speed and soft hands (his nickname was "Mr. Hands" in Hamburg, however that's said in German), he still caught only 25 passes as a Duck senior. Part of the problem was that Demetrius Williams, now a rising star with the Baltimore Ravens, was the go-to guy for the Ducks.

So Maxwell spent his rookie season on the practice squad, after which his bosses made him a "go-to" guy of a different sort. They asked him to go to Hamburg, and Maxwell was more than happy to oblige.

"He's a player with a real future," said Hamburg coach Vince Martino.

Unlike the league that made him a star.

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