Ex-Eagle Akers kick-starts career with Niners

IT WAS NICE to see David Akers get off to a good start with the 49ers on Sunday.

Akers, of course, played 12 seasons with the Eagles, making the Pro Bowl five times.

But last season, in the final year of his contract, he missed two crucial field goals in a playoff loss to the Packers. That, of course, was just days after learning his then-6-year-old daughter had to have a cancerous ovary removed. His name also surfaced as one of the victims in an alleged Ponzi scheme that cost him over $3 million.

The popular Akers was on record as saying he would have liked to finish his career in Philly. But, he needed a long-term deal and the Eagles reportedly only offered about $3 million for 1 year.

We all know what happened next. The Eagles drafted kicker Alex Henery in the fourth round and Akers signed a 3-year deal with San Francisco.

Henery had a decent game in the Eagles' win over the Rams. But he was no Akers.

Akers, who turns 37 in December, kicked four field goals and three extra points to help the 49ers beat the Seahawks and give Jim Harbaugh his first win as an NFL head coach.

Interestingly, Akers has a history with the Harbaugh family.

He was recruited by then-Western Kentucky coach Jack Harbaugh (Jim's father), but went to Louisville instead. And, he was coached by former Eagles assistant John Harbaugh (Jim's brother) for eight seasons.

"Just to win for [Jim] Harbaugh for the first [time], and to know the family so well over the years, to be part of it is really something special," Akers told the Associated Press. "This is a franchise with great history and, obviously, the last some years have been a little on the down side. We are trying our best to change that. It takes time, but [Sunday] was a good start."

We hope he and the Niners begin the season 3-0.

But that's as far as we can go because Akers is scheduled to return to Philly for a Week 4 clash against the Eagles on Oct. 2.

On that day we'll cheer for him when he takes the field and, hopefully, each time he misses a field goal.