SANTA CLARA -- No one is exactly sure when or where it happened, but somewhere along the way, Kwame Harris got a reputation for soft play.
"Lets up at times," wrote Pro Football Weekly in a pre-draft report.
"Has more of a finesse mentality ... " concluded The Sporting News.
From draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.: "Definitely needs to kick it up a notch ... "
Harris' response so far in training camp? Don't believe everything you read.
As always, a handful of fights have broken out in practice. The difference this summer is that Harris, the 49ers' future left tackle, has been in the middle of just about all of them.
Finesse mentality? Tell that to linebacker Jamie Winborn, who was staggered by the lineman's massive left hand during blitz pick-up drills this week.
Lets up? Defensive end Byron Frisch begs to differ. After Frisch complained to Harris -- face mask to face mask -- about extra shoving on one play Wednesday, he started throwing punches when the rough stuff continued on the next. Teammates eventually had to pull the two apart.
Kick it up a notch? Andrew Williams doesn't think so. The first-year defensive end was so upset over Harris' physical style Tuesday that he whipped off his own helmet, got into a boxing pose and challenged his fellow rookie to a fight.
"Soft? I don't think he's soft at all," a more mellow Williams said of Harris an hour later. "He's just got tremendous heart. He wants to help his team just like I do."
In one breath, 49ers officials downplay Harris' brawling as typical training-camp fare, but they are letting out a tremendous sigh of relief in the next.
On draft day, they were doubtful the Stanford product would be available at pick No. 26. When the Carolina Panthers looked past Harris and selected Utah tackle Jordan Gross with the eighth pick, 49ers officials were happy. When the Denver Broncos, who were picking six slots ahead of San Francisco, took Georgia tackle George Foster, the 49ers were elated.
But in the back of their minds, they wondered why such a large, athletic and intelligent player who had never been in trouble nearly dropped out of the first round.
Were concerns about Harris' intensity true? Did he take plays off? Was he soft?
"I think a lot of people felt he wasn't aggressive, and we didn't really know, either," 49ers general manager Terry Donahue said. "We're just happy with the way he's playing. He hasn't been intimidated in any way, shape or form. He's just had an oustanding camp. I can't remember when I've seen a rookie tackle look so comfortable. He's going to be hard to ignore come opening day."
One observer who hasn't been surprised by the rookie's fire is 49ers coach Dennis Erickson, whose Oregon State teams faced Harris at Stanford.
"I don't know where he got that knock," Erickson said earlier in the week. "I played against him in college. He was always intense every time we played him, every time I watched him on video."
Harris' off-the-field demeanor might be partly responsible for his supposed lack of intensity on it.
He's soft-spoken, polite and doesn't walk around with the bravado you'd expect from someone who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 310 pounds. He also plays the piano and violin, majored in English literature and worries about social issues.
Before Harris signed his multimillion-dollar contract a week ago, he identified three charitable ventures he wants to jump-start, including a foundation to help Bay Area homeless and fight AIDS.
"You look at his personality and the way he plays on the football field, and the difference is night and day," said guard Eric Heitmann, who played with Harris in college and lobbied the 49ers to draft his old linemate. "When it comes to the football field, he's almost too aggressive."
Harris laughs off the on-field encounters.
"It's not like I'm going out there thinking, I've got to get to get into a fight today," he said.
Coaches also caution that despite Harris' heart and hustle, he has a lot to learn.
"We just have to remember that Kwame is just 21 years old," offensive-line coach Pat Morris said. "He would just be a senior in college right now. He's got to get used to the speed of the game. It's going take all of training camp to get that done."