The San Francisco 49ers wanted a lineman who can blow up offensive plays and got one with the 29th first-round selection -- North Carolina defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer.

For Balmer, the West Coast is a long way from his home in Weldon, but not far from his heart.

"There's a lot of tradition that the 49ers have," Balmer told the Associated Press. "We [our family] were watching them, seeing that red and that gold, and we just loved it. It's in me."

Johnson, who carved a record-breaking career at East Carolina and dazzled scouts with his NFL Combine-best 4.24-second time for 40 yards, tied former Pirates linebacker Robert Jones (1992) as the highest draft selection in East Carolina history.

Catching up with the speedster Saturday by phone -- (full mailbox) -- was about as hard as catching up with him on the field. But folks from the Music City, Nashville, Tenn., to Greenville, were singing his praises.

"We had been talking about Chris for weeks,'' said Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher, quoted on the Titans Web site. "We're very, very impressed with him, in particular, as a person."

And on the field, obviously. Fisher cited Johnson's versatility and said: "We're going to plug him in wherever and whenever we can because he's a playmaker. He has world-class, difference-making speed, which is something we need offensively."

Johnson displayed breakaway ability at East Carolina last fall, when he scored 24 touchdowns and led the nation in all-purpose yardage with 2,960 -- 1,468 rushing, 528 receiving, and 1,009 on kickoff returns.

"He's instant. Just plant the foot, and boom, he's gone,'' said Titans scout Cole Proctor. "It's going to be fun with the things you can do with him. He can carry the ball, be a receiver and be a returner."

"Instant" Johnson left an indelible mark on Pirates' football because of sweat as well as speed.

"You always like to see players enjoy success, especially those who possess the incredible work ethic and commitment that Chris has,'' East Carolina coach Skip Holtz said in a release. "The contributions he has made to the East Carolina program are special ..."

Balmer, a 6-5, 298-pound behemoth, didn't create a big stir in his first three seasons at North Carolina.

But he flourished under first-year head coach Butch Davis and line coach John Blake last season, earning second-team All-ACC honors and getting scouts' attention despite the Tar Heels' losing season.

"He really started to learn this year what it took to be a great player -- that it wasn't enough to just have innate ability, that it took a great deal of preparation,'' UNC coach Butch Davis told the AP.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the 49ers would have made Balmer the seventh player picked overall if they hadn't traded that slot to New England last year for a 2007 first-round selection.

Still, before the first-round ended, Balmer heard his name called, something that seemed improbable a year ago.