Siblings trained Packers' Bakhtiari for test

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As the youngest of three ultra-competitive football-playing brothers, Burlingame's David Bakhtiari unwittingly began training for life in the NFL's trenches at an early age.

His oldest brother, Eric, 28, is a free-agent NFL linebacker who is seven years his senior. Their age difference, however, didn't protect David from harm. Eric's unassailable reasoning? His kid brother was pudgy.

"It looked like he had some cushion, so he could take more abuse," he explained.

Eric eventually left for college, but the hits kept on coming. David's other brother, Andrew, 23, is a former defensive end at the University of San Diego who also treated him like a blocking sled.

His formative years were filled with bruises, but perhaps they shaped Bakhtiari, 21, the Packers' 6-foot-4, 300-pound rookie left tackle who will make his debut Sunday when Green Bay visits the 49ers in the season opener at Candlestick Park.

His first assignment will feature one-on-matchups against two All-Pros, 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith and outside linebacker Aldon Smith. In Eric's estimation, though, there's really no punishment they can deliver that David hasn't withstood.

"The biggest scar they could give David," Bakhtiari said, laughing, "would be the traumatization of bringing him back to his childhood."

The youngest Bakhtiari, a fourth-round pick from Colorado, is bound to have some more pleasant flashbacks to his youth Sunday. He attended Serra High in San Mateo, 16 miles from Candlestick, and grew up rooting for the 49ers, who employed Eric for five games in 2012 and for two previous practice-squad stints.

Now, David will protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers' blind side against his boyhood team before a crowd that will include about 30 friends and family members.

Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari sits on the bench during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam) Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari sits on the bench during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam) Photo: Tom Gannam, Associated Press Photo: Tom Gannam, Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Siblings trained Packers' Bakhtiari for test 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

"It almost seems like it was set up," he said.

The dream situation could turn nightmarish, given his daunting task. The No. 109 overall pick in April's draft repeatedly will deal with top-10 selections in Aldon Smith and Justin Smith, who are a migraine for even experienced left tackles.

Eric regularly reviewed video for his little brother when he was at Colorado, offering tips on how to handle his upcoming opponent. So what's his Week 1 advice before David faces Eric's ultra-talented ex-teammates?

"Play the best game you've ever played in your life," Eric said.

And Eric, now the fiercely proud older brother, believes David is capable of doing just that.

David was in high school when Eric began an NFL odyssey in 2008 that has included stops with seven teams over five seasons. Eric's jump from non-scholarship USD to the NFL inspired David, who believed his dream would be realized if he committed himself to the sport.

At Colorado, which went 9-28 in his three seasons, he routinely pored over game video on weeknights while many of his teammates partied.

"It became his obsession and passion," Eric said. "He put blinders on. He never got into anything that wasn't progressing him as a football payer and what he wanted to do in his career. He took the things that I did well and did them better. And he took the things I didn't do so well and avoided them."

David's beyond-his-years maturity became evident when Green Bay left tackle Bryan Bulaga sustained a season-ending knee injury in early August. Bakhtiari has since taken every practice snap at the position and frequently has gone against Green Bay's All-Pro outside linebacker Clay Matthews.

During his baptism by fire, Matthews has been struck by Bakhtiari's quiet confidence and response to adversity. When Matthews has won their one-on-one matchups, Bakhtiari has sought him out for how-can-I-improve counsel.

"You talk to him and think he's not a rookie," Matthews said. "It's as if he's been around here for awhile. And he knows what he wants to accomplish. You don't see that from rookies a lot of the time. They get kind of burnt out and they focus on what's now. But for him, he has a bigger picture."

Bakhtiari is aware he'll arrive at Candlestick as a decided underdog. A pregame story line has centered on the inexperience of Green Bay's tackles (right tackle Don Barclay, 24, is expected to make fifth career start) against the 49ers' withering pass rush.

He didn't make any predictions this week, other than pledging not to shrink from the challenge.

"No matter what, I'm going to go in and give it everything I have," Bakhtiari said. "That's kind of been my mentality. I've never let things to get too big for me. I'm going to go in there and I'm going to what I do best. I'm going to do what I know. And I'm going to make sure I give max effort."

For his part, anxiety won't allow Eric to join the rest of the family, which includes a sister, Danielle, 23, at Candlestick on Sunday. Instead, he'll watch the game from his parents' house in Burlingame.

His nerves shouldn't be confused with a lack of confidence, however. David Bakhtiari matched against two older guys who are hell-bent on beating him up? Eric laughed. His kid brother has been here before.

"He's been doing it his whole life," Eric said. "He's used to constantly being challenged and picked on. And he's had to hold his own. This is no different from his childhood. He's the typical little brother. He just happened to be a lot bigger."