Parents boost 49ers linebacker Michael Wilhoite

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As a general rule, NFL job prospects are bleak for former Division II players who are selling shoes at the West Ridge Mall in Topeka, Kan., a year after leaving college.

Granted, it's a small sample size, but employment at the Finish Line typically represents the end of the line for a football player.

Such was not the case, however, for 49ers inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite, who always had two fans with an unwavering belief he'd play in the pros: his mom and dad, of course.

"Oh, no, I never doubted Michael would do it," said his mom, Jan Buchheim. "It's his determination. If you tell Michael no, or he can't do something, or something just can't be done, he'll do it if he's got his mind set to it."

Evidently.

Michael Wilhoite was a fixture on special teams for the 49ers late last season. Michael Wilhoite was a fixture on special teams for the 49ers late last season. Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Parents boost 49ers linebacker Michael Wilhoite 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Twenty months after he was peddling sneakers and living with his mom in Topeka, Wilhoite, 26, is Kurt Warner Lite: a small-college player from the Midwest who toiled at a regular-Joe job before improbably realizing his NFL dream.

Now, after thriving on special-teams as a rookie last year, Wilhoite appears poised to pen the next chapter in his rags-to-riches tale.

With the 49ers seeking a capable backup for All-Pro inside linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, Wilhoite began training camp as the next man up. And he's since strengthened his hold on the No. 3 spot: With Willis sidelined with a broken hand that apparently won't cause him to miss a regular-season game, Wilhoite started Thursday and collected a game-high 10 tackles in the preseason opener against Denver.

A college safety, Wilhoite has flashed athleticism that allowed him to play six positions, including quarterback, in high school. One example of Wilhoite's athletic prowess: He had a 36 1/2-inch vertical jump before the 2011 draft, 7 inches higher than Bowman leapt at the 2010 combine.

"He's not too far from me and Pat," Bowman said. "He has the ability to do the things that we do."

Less than two years ago, Wilhoite wasn't doing much of anything related to football. After finishing his career at Washburn University in Topeka, he played a season in the now-defunct United Football League with the Omaha Nighthawks.

That stint in football's minor leagues didn't inspire an NFL call. So he went to work. A lot. During a six-week stretch starting in November 2011, he worked at the Finish Line, was a personal trainer at Maximus Fitness and interned at WIBW Radio in Topeka.

He didn't give up on football, though. He routinely rose at 5 a.m. to work out before returning home to shower and cook eggs that he ate on his commute to the mall.

His pre-dawn workouts started when he was a 190-pound, 6-foot redshirt freshman at Washburn who was buried on the depth chart. He began rising with the roosters to change his standing and the perspiration paid off: He finished his career as a 240-pound, three-time captain with professional aspirations.

Looking back, he realizes friends probably thought his I'm-going-to-play-in-the-NFL talk was delusional. But his mom and dad, Greg Wilhoite, who divorced when he was 18, were all back slaps and you-can-do-its.

Even when he was selling sneakers and living at home.

"The situation I was in, most people would say, 'You're crazy. Why are you still trying? You look like a fool,' " Wilhoite said. "But my parents never did. I think that's one of the reasons why I kept pursuing it, because they never questioned it. They never thought for one second that I couldn't play at this level."

Fortunately for Wilhoite, he eventually found another believer: the 49ers.

He was signed to San Francisco's practice squad on Dec. 14, 2011, and stayed there for the first 12 weeks of the 2012 season. After his promotion to the active roster, he made a mark on special teams: In eight games, including the playoffs, he had a team-high 11 special-teams tackles.

Entering his second season, he's learning the finer points of inside linebacker, a position he did not play in college. He's still adjusting to shedding blocks from 320-pound guards, and diagnosing run plays. He has kept up in coverage, presenting a challenge for tight end Vernon Davis, one of the 49ers' fastest players.

"I've gone against him quite a few times and, to me, going against linebackers, sometimes it's really easy," Davis said. "With him, I really have to approach him as if he's a safety or something like that because he's quick, He's fast. He's a tremendous athlete."

On Friday, Wilhoite will enjoy a homecoming when the 49ers visit Kansas City, which is about 70 miles from Topeka. At Washburn, head coach Craig Schurig will cancel team meetings so his players can gather and watch Wilhoite play on TV.

A group of about 50 friends and family members will be at Arrowhead Stadium, including Wilhoite's parents. His mom always believed, but even she struggles to comprehend how her son went from out of the house and onto her television.

"It's like I asked someone the other day: Do mothers ever get used to this?" Buchheim said. "Do mothers ever get used to seeing their sons doing something like this? I just don't know if I'll get used to it, but it's a wonderful feeling."

McDonald out: Head coach Jim Harbaugh said rookie tight end Vance McDonald, a second-round pick, won't play Friday because of an undisclosed injury. Harbaugh said McDonald could be sidelined for about seven to 10 days.