Yesterday Mike Singletary said Nate Davis is coming along slower than the coaches want. I pursued this statement today with Jimmy Raye, Davis and Dominique Zeigler. Here is a transcript of my interviews — column to follow.

On Monday, Mike Singletary had some hard words for Nate Davis.

“He’s coming, not as fast as we would like, not as fast as the coaches would like, but he’s coming. I think the biggest thing with Nate is to figure out how he learns and get that burning desire to whatever it takes to be out here and to get it done. I know he can do it. It’s just a matter of him doing it. Time will tell.”

Today I followed up with 49er offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye and asked in what ways Davis is not making fast enough progress.

Raye: “I didn’t say it. My perspective of where Nate Davis is I think he’s made progress. I think he’s continued to make progress. The difficult part of where Nate is now is the addition of David Carr because we have to get Carr enough snaps to be ready, so that takes away from Nate Davis. If the scenario was the same as a year ago with Shaun Hill and Alex Smith we could eliminate some of the snaps of one of those guys and he would get more reps. So he can’t get the volume of reps because of the addition of David Carr who has to get enough reps to learn the system and be able to play. So you’re starting all over with him and you’re trying to develop Nate. So his progress has been impeded some. But I think his progress to this point has been OK. I would hope he would be, when we finish this segment of our pre-practice stuff, that he will be in competition with David Carr for the backup spot in August. I would hope that would be the case.”

Later, I go to Davis. I tell him the Singletary quote. I get a quizzical look.

How did Davis feel when heard what Singletary said?

“Well, actually that’s the first time I heard it when you said it just now. Of course, a lot of people are going to talk. Every day I’ve got to just keep on working hard. That’s what it all comes down to.”

I read him the quote and ask his response.

“He’s the head coach. And now I’ve got to put more into it, then. That’s what it all comes down to.”

I say Raye said he expects Davis to compete for backup job with Carr. Do you expect that?

“Yes, definitely. I don’t want to be someone who sits on the bench their whole life. I want to work so some day I get to play. I’ve just got to learn the play book better.”

Compare yourself to where you are to this time last year.

“There is no comparison. It’s a big jump from last year. Last year I was just coming in. I was frustrated because I didn’t know what I was doing. I was out there just playing backyard football. Now I’m focused. It’s easier to play.”

What do you mean by backyard football?

“I was out there just going through the motions, just trying to find an open man. That was it.”

You didn’t have command of the play book?

“Yes, I didn’t have command of the play book. I was out there just going off my head, just trying to find an open man.”

How do handle the play book now?

“I feel a lot more comfortable. Of course, I still have a ways to go. I’m a lot more prepared getting thrown in the game than I was last year.”

Are you happy with amount of reps?

“Yes, definitely. You can’t complain about the amount of reps. The coaches set everything. So I just go out there and do what I can.”

Do you need to make a statement?

“Of course, I think every player needs to.”

What are your strong points?

“I’m a pocket passer and I can throw the ball down the field. Those are the two main things. I make great decisions. Those are my three best qualities.”

What do you want to improve on?

“Getting better at drops? Of course, learning the play book better, just knowing what all the check-downs are – just all the little things.”

I ask about his learning disability. Is that dyslexia?

“Yes, that’s what it is. I do have dyslexia. You know what, I do have a learning disability but I try to say, no I don’t have a learning disability. I don’t use that as a crutch. I’m working hard just like everybody else.”

When you look at a play book what’s the problem?

“That’s my main problem right now, just saying the play. I know what I’m doing out there. It’s just saying the play, that’s my main problem, getting the words out. Here’s how it goes. I’m sitting at home. Dominique Zeigler lives with me. We sit there. We’re watching tv. We’re watching the finals halftime. I get up, me and my girlfriend, sit there, act like I’m in the huddle. Get the play and I say it to him. I made big progress from last year. I’ve just got to keep on working.”

Does he need to talk to Singletary?

“I will go talk to him, just see where he’s at with me.”

What about checks – hard for you?

“All it does is just take a lot of study. When we go against other teams I’ve got to work a little harder. My main thing is just getting the play out.”

I say I thought dyslexia is an impediment of reading not of saying. So I don’t understand the issue of getting the play out.

“My dyslexia is like when you say ‘right’ I might go ahead and change it and say “left.” The formation – he says it one way but I may put it the other way. I switch things. Formation might be one way and protection might be the other way, so that’s when I mix them.”

Are you most of the way there?

“No doubt about it. I’m a lot further than I was last year.”

Is this (saying plays) a nightly thing?

“Yes, it has to be. If not, I don’t think I’d be able to make it in the NFL. I try to do it anywhere from 45 minutes.”

After Davis, I go to Dominque Zeigler.

We ask about Nate and rehearsing plays in evenings.

He laughs. “Sometimes we just go over the plays, seeing he’s the quarterback. We’ll go over the script. Sometimes he’ll ask me the play, what we have in a certain formation. Or I’ll read the play to him and he’ll tell me his reads, which read is first. He’ll tell me which the hot is. We basically just test ourselves. It’s kind of like note cards.”

Do you get into the huddle?

He laughs. “We wouldn’t be like this on a knee. It’s a nice study fashion.”

He told us his issue is left and right. You work on directions?

“Things of that nature. Let him see the play because of his learning disability – just reading it out. Sometimes if it’s H right left, but if you’re thinking it’s H left right – just getting the verbiage out cleaner, that’s all.”

That’s hard.

“I could only imagine because as a quarterback you have to know so much and then if you have something that hinders you it makes it that much harder.”