Vernon Davis was aware that he was sitting on 49 career touchdown catches.

So Davis leaped to his 50th on Sunday.

The 49ers Pro Bowl tight end's meaningful score provided one of San Francisco's knockout punches in its 23-13 victory over the visiting St. Louis Rams.

One play after a failed Rams punt-fake gave the offense possession 17 yards from the goal line to start the fourth quarter, quarterback Colin Kaepernick rolled to his right and found Davis, who reversed field at 11-yard line and leg-kicked his way past cornerback Janoris Jenkins into the end zone.

"Pretty much my whole career, anytime I have the ball in my hands, defenders will go for my knees, my ankles," said Davis, who celebrated with his standard basketball-inspired free throw. "At that moment, I just said, 'I'm going to jump over this guy.' This was my first time doing it since New Orleans. I did whatever I could do to make a play."

Davis' 50th career score – he started the season with 40 – moved him to fourth on San Francisco's all-time list. Only Jerry Rice (176), Terrell Owens (81) and Gene Washington (59) have caught more wearing the red and gold.

A sprinter and high jumper during his high school days – he cleared six feet, four inches as a track prep at Washington D.C. high school Dunbar – Davis said the maneuver is an important part of his game on the gridiron. He also hurdled a Rams defensive back during a 20-yard gain on his team's second drive of the game.