We finally got our first win and the guys were excited about it. We feel we’re a better team than our record shows and we’re ready to turn things around. We clicked on all phases of the game, the defense made turnovers, the offense made things happen. It was definitely something we can build on going into the San Francisco game.

At San Francisco I’ll have the chance to play against some fellow NC State alumni, against Manny Lawson and Marcus Hudson (www.marcushudson.com), two guys I’ve played a lot of may career with. To have the opportunity to play against them after all these years past, for the first time as a pro, it’s an exciting moment. We’re like a family, and being able to see them again and play against them will be a family moment.

The 49ers have a real good football team, and it all starts with Frank Gore, a guy I’ve been playing against since Little League football, through Coral Gables High, when he was at University of Miami and now as a pro. We’ve seen each other grow, we work out together in the off-season and I know what he brings to the table.

Vernon Davis is also a special player, Alex Smith is coming into his own as a quarterback and they have a solid defense.

Winning and losing can be contagious. Our confidence is up and that’s just what we need, that spark. This win is definitely going to get us back to what we felt when we were 13-3 last year, now we can remember how good it feels. That’s when you don’t want to lose. All of the guys on this team understand that as well as I do. Now it’s time to move forward. This is a very talented team.

Coach Fisher said going into our bye week, he talked about getting away from football and reflecting on the first half of the season, then coming back and forgetting about it. A lot of guys took that to heart. I saw a new team last Sunday, with more life, an extra spark. Now we want to keep building and not regress.

Also, the Stephen Tulloch Foundation will be teaming with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Nashville to have Thanksgiving dinner for 100 people on Nov. 26 for an organization called Backfield in Motion (http://www.backfieldinmotion.org/). They offer athletic programs for at-risk youth while stressing education. That part really caught my attention. As a kid I wasn’t as privileged as many other kids, so for them to make education a priority is something very close to my heart, it’s what I’m all about. There will be 100 people there, kids with their families, some of my teammates will be there. That’s how I’m going to spend my Thanksgiving.

If you want to donate I urge you to do it here at the Stephen Tulloch Foundation at http://tulloch55.com/foundation.html. It’s for a good cause.

Stephen Tulloch is a linebacker with the Tennessee Titans. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.tulloch55.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stephentulloch.