Competition is the name of the game for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, with almost every single player having to battle for playing time for the upcoming season. One such position is running back, and one man trying to make the most of his new surroundings is former New York Giant Brandon Jacobs, who is working harder than ever.

The last time Jacobs won a super bowl (2007 not 2011), he balloned up to over 280 pounds and got complacent. Now his goal is to work his body to a sub-260-lb frame, the first time he's been that small since college.

"I'm training 10 times harder than I've ever trained," said Jacobs, listing himself at 266 to 267 pounds. "I'm trying to get my body back to where it used to be, get strength in my legs, because that was the weak point in me the last couple years."

With the likes of Frank Gore, who never likes to come off the field, solid second-year back Kendall Hunter and the addition of LaMichael James, Jacobs certainly has an uphill battle ahead of him for playing time. He still wants to lose more weight, using a low-carb diet and rigorous Niners conditioning program to get to where he wants to be.

An 1,000-yard rusher in both 2007 and 2008, Jacobs' production had fallen off significantly after rushing for 835 and 823 yards in 2009 and 2010 and only 571 yards last season, an average 3.8 yards per carry. Jacobs knows where his problem was and now is trying to fix it:

"My legs weren't as strong, my balance wasn't as good as it needed to be," Jacobs said. "I want to play down in the (2)50s for basically the first time in my career. I don't think it's far fetched."

One thing is certain, the blue-collar 49er mindset is contagious, and Branadon Jacobs has the fever.

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