the season. At the beginning of the 2006 season, the team made perhaps their most important decision, awarding the top running back spot to second year veteran Frank Gore from Miami. Gore ran for a franchise record of 1,695 rushing yards, which led the NFC, along with 8 TDs. He was awarded his first Pro Bowl appearance as a starter. 2007 Before the beginning of the 2007 season, former coach Bill Walsh died of complications from leukemia. In the off-season, Cornerback Nate Clements was signed as a free agent from the Buffalo Bills. Clement's contract was worth $80 million for 8 years, the largest contract given to a defensive player in NFL history at the time. The 49ers started 2–0, winning their first two games against the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. This marked the first time the 49ers started 2–0 since 1998. In the fourth game of the season, against the Seattle Seahawks, quarterback Alex Smith suffered a separated shoulder on the third play of the game, an injury that would severely hamper his play and ultimately lead to an early end to his 2008 campaign after having shoulder surgery. Chiefly due to quarterback Trent Dilfer's struggles and Alex Smith's injury, the 49ers lost 8 straight games from week 3 through week 12, ending the year with a disappointing 5–11 record. 2007–2008: off-season and end of the Nolan era In the off-season, the 49ers signed quarterback Shaun Hill to a three-year deal and quarterback J. T. O'Sullivan to a one-year contract, they also signed Isaac Bruce to a two-year contract. That raised questions about the future of Alex Smith, whose first three seasons had been plagued by inconsistent play, injuries, and not having had an offensive coordinator remain on the team for consecutive years. Head coach Mike Nolan and new Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz stated that a competition between Smith, Hill, and O'Sullivan would run through the first two preseason games of 2008, with the hope of naming a starter soon after. O'Sullivan was named the 49ers starter after performing better than Smith or Hill in the first three preseason games. Seven games into the NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan on October 20, 2008. Mike Singletary was named interim head coach. After a poor performance against the Seattle Seahawks (2 interceptions, 4 fumbles) on October 26, O'Sullivan was benched and replaced