INDIANAPOLIS -- For a player whose career was chilled by a broken ankle that nearly ended his league tenure prematurely, San Francisco tailback Garrison Hearst is suddenly a hot commodity in the unrestricted free agent market, a veteran who for once isn't trying to escape the pursuit.

	Garrison Hearst's comeback paralleled the 49ers' return to prominence in 2001.

The league's comeback player of the year in 2001, when he rushed for 1,206 yards after a two-year hiatus and four surgeries on his left ankle, Hearst already has visits set up with two teams and has heard from two other franchises who would like to meet with him. The cell phone of agent Pat Dye began ringing at five minutes after midnight on Friday, when Raiders senior assistant Bruce Allen called to reinforce his team's interest in Hearst, and it hasn't really quieted much since then.

"It's nice to be wanted," said Hearst, who would also be welcomed back by the 49ers, provided the price was right. "Everyone said it might be a slow (free agent) process this year, and kept on telling me I might have to be patient, but we're getting pretty good response already."

ESPN.com has confirmed that Hearst will visit in Cleveland next Tuesday and with the Atlanta coaching staff and personnel officials on Thursday, and there are plans to go to Oakland as well. The Miami Dolphins, seeking to upgrade their anemic rushing attack, also have checked in.

Given his age, 31, and the fact Hearst has played in just one of the past three seasons, the early interest is somewhat surprising. But the nine-year veteran always has been regarded as a strong character player, and good presence in the locker room, and his 2001 performance opened a lot of eyes around the league.

Just the phone calls he has elicited to this point are gratifying for Hearst, whose story is one of perseverance, and who simply would not allow himself to quit despite incredible odds against his return to the field.

Hearst fractured his ankle on the first snap of a 1998 playoff matchup at Atlanta, his hometown, and during the rehabilitation doctors discovered he was suffering from avascular necrosis. The disease ostensibly results from the lack of blood flow to the damaged area and eventually the bone deteriorates and essentially dies. It is the same malady that ended the football career of former Raiders running back Bo Jackson.

The former University of Georgia star didn't play in the 1999 and 2000 seasons, reduced his salary both years to accommodate the 49ers, and underwent a series of radical procedures aimed at stimulating blood flow to the ankle. He would have been released last summer if he hadn't once again cut his base salary to the league minimum and there were skeptics, including some in the San Francisco locker room, who doubted he would get through the season.

While most observers feel Hearst still didn't return to 100 percent, he ran hard inside, showed some flashes of his old speed and again proved the doubters wrong. The comeback award was the second of his career, and he is the only player in league history to win it twice.

Even in a free agent market that rates as the thinnest ever, Hearst didn't figure to garner much early interest, and the conventional wisdom was that he would not be among the hot veterans, at least in the first few weeks. But some teams feel he plays younger than his chronological age, and that the two years he spent rehabilitating saved some wear and tear on his body.

The interest demonstrated so far seems to be legitimate.

In Cleveland, team president Carmen Policy and personnel chief Dwight Clark are familiar with Hearst from their days together in San Francisco, and coach Butch Davis covets a tough, inside runner for his offense. In Atlanta, adding Hearst to the Falcons backfield, even if he split time at tailback with Jamal Anderson, would be a tremendous public relations move. And the Raiders, who never miss an opportunity to tweak the 49ers, wouldn't mind having Hearst cross the Bay, as Charlie Garner and Jerry Rice did last year.

For his career, Hearst has played in 92 games and started 77 and has rushed for 6,145 yards on 1,418 carries. He also has 154 receptions for 1,517 yards and seven touchdowns.

"We've been a little surprised by the volume of interest but, with Garrison, nothing should ever shock me," Dye said. "The fact he's still in the league is an amazing story. And it seems like the guy is ready to write another chapter, either in San Francisco or somewhere else."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.