Eagles' Ertz has strong ties to Bay Area

Zach Ertz was not given a choice of where to attend college. It did not matter whether Stanford was less than one hour away from his home in Alamo, Calif., or nearly 3,000 miles away in Philadelphia. Lisa Ertz wanted her son at Stanford if he could gain admittance.

It was a residual benefit that Stanford was a short drive from Alamo. Lisa went to every game, and Ertz remained in close contact with his three younger brothers. A child of divorce, Ertz said he assumed some fatherly responsibilities for the boys while in high school.

In 2013, Ertz did not get a choice of where he would play pro football. It seemed he had a good chance of staying in the Bay Area. The San Francisco 49ers held two of the draft's first 34 picks. They were in the market for a tight end. And they were coached by Jim Harbaugh, who recruited Ertz to Stanford and coached him for two years.

The 49ers twice passed on Ertz - once trading up in the first round for a safety, the next time trading back in the second round for another tight end. Ertz went to the Eagles one spot after the 49ers' traded second pick, moving from the Bay Area for the first time.

"I was dumbfounded when they didn't take him," said former 49ers all-pro tight end Brent Jones, who mentored Ertz in high school. "If Zach was there, they'd be unstoppable right now."

In his second season with the Eagles, Ertz appears on the verge of becoming the player Jones expects him to be. He has caught nine of 13 balls thrown his way for 177 yards and one touchdown. His 19.7 yards per catch leads all tight ends.

Those numbers could improve Sunday when the 49ers host the Eagles. It's a homecoming for Ertz and comes against the coach who once recruited him and later passed on him. It's also a rare chance for Ertz to be in the same place with his mother and all three brothers.

"Going home and playing in front of family and friends is going to be fun," Ertz said. "Is there going to be extra motivation because they didn't draft me? Ask me after the game, and I may have a different answer."

Ertz was going into his sophomore year at Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif., aspiring to play college basketball, when he learned of his parents' divorce. Ertz's maturity was put to the test.

He has three brothers: Shane, who is three years younger; Nick, five years younger; and Jackson, nine years younger. The way Ertz processed the divorce as a 15-year-old was different from the other brothers, and the family dynamics dramatically changed.

"Nobody said you have to step up and be a leader for the family," Ertz said. "I took it upon myself. I wanted to set the bar high for my brothers."

Lisa Ertz said she never wanted to put the responsibility onto her oldest son. But it was a role that fit him.

"When he was home, there was a peace in the house that wasn't there when he wasn't home," Lisa said. "He just had this Zen calmness. He's older than he seems. I think he does it on the football field, too. He sees things that other people don't see."

Lisa was careful not to overstate the family's plight. Divorce is never easy, but she and her sons grew up in a nice home in a nice suburb, and they supported each other. Ertz maintains a good relationship with his father with regular communication, although he admitted he's closer to his mother.

Ertz has also had to watch his younger brothers endure roadblocks that he avoided. Shane's athletic career was halted by concussions. Nick had back injuries that stymied his. Jackson, the youngest, had epilepsy as a child.

"I want to be the best example for them," Ertz said. "They've been through more than I have. They've had to deal with adversities I've never had to deal with."

He takes joy in their accomplishments and is sensitive about the shadow he casts.

"I think it's tough," Ertz said. "I went to Stanford. I went to play in the NFL. If I had someone older than me who set that standard, that's what you're going to be compared to."

Lisa said the Ertz boys are not like the Gronkowskis, for whom football was a central part of their lives as children and their ambition as adults. The NFL seemed far-fetched despite Ertz's 6-foot-5 frame and athleticism.

That was why she insisted her son earn a Stanford degree. It was not until Jones entered Ertz's life that he believed he could reach the NFL.

"Brent Jones was the voice in his head that told him he could do this and that he could be great," Lisa Ertz said. "Zachary really needed that at that point in his life."

Jones' daughters went to Monte Vista, and the school's football coach told him one spring about a junior tight end with potential. A three-time all-pro with the 49ers, Jones has discerning taste.

He went to practice and saw Ertz's hands-eye coordination, the way he caught the ball with his hands and not his body, and how Ertz ran. Ertz was still growing, but Jones was convinced.

"It took me about a week," Jones said.

Jones asked Ertz what he wanted to do. Ertz said he wanted to play basketball.

"We don't need another 6-6 white guy in the NBA," Jones told him. "You're a tight end. Not only can you play in college, you can play in the pros."

Ertz learned how to move defenders with his eyes. Jones showed him how to use his head and shoulders. He worked on catching the ball at a high point over defenders.

"He's the reason I am where I am today," Ertz said. "He taught me to look at the game differently, especially the route-running stuff."

Jones called Harbaugh and told him about his pupil. Ertz joined a tight-end group at Stanford with five other future pros. Ertz excelled in his final two college years, catching 69 passes for 898 yards and six touchdowns in 2012 with David Shaw as the head coach.

Ertz has not spoken to Harbaugh "for a while," but he raved about the experience of playing for Harbaugh.

"One of those players who makes coaching a joy," Harbaugh said of Ertz. "Wonderful, wonderful youngster from the beginning through the entire college experience."

The 49ers still passed on Ertz. The Sacramento Bee theorized that 49ers general manager Trent Baalke preferred the body type of Vance McDonald, who is bigger and has longer arms. The decision did not sit well with Jones.

"My only regret is Trent Baalke and Jim [Harbaugh] absolutely choked by not drafting him," Jones said.

Jones believes Ertz could become an all-pro, and he said he'll be "rooting for 86" on Sunday. But Jones hopes Ertz won't be "overly amped for the game," considering he's playing in front of friends and family, with Harbaugh on the other sideline, leading the team that passed on a hometown kid.

"At the end of the day, I couldn't be happier," Ertz said. "It's a blessing in disguise I didn't go there, to be honest. I love being here. No disrespect to them, but this is the place I'm meant to be."