It would make for a nice, emotional story, if not for one problem.

"I don't live my life emotionally,'' Bruce said. "I live a principle-led life."

The 49ers receiver fended off an onslaught of reporters Thursday by insisting there is nothing special about lining up against the team that drafted him in 1994.

That's 14,109 yards, 84 touchdowns, four Pro Bowls and zero nostalgia.

"Really, I practiced against them for about 14 years, so it's no big difference,'' he said.

Bruce is the pensive type, with a stoic expression and a deliberate manner of speaking. If his inner fire was burning a little hotter this week, it would be impossible to tell.

The only hint he dropped was when he referred to his ending in St. Louis. The team waived him in February and announced the decision in a terse news release.

"I know business is business, and sometimes business falls on people who don't want it to fall on them,'' Bruce said. "It fell on Isaac Bruce. I wasn't surprised. Sometimes I say they beat me to the draw."

Wait a minute. Beat you to the draw?

"It's self-explanatory,'' Bruce said. "I don't want to get into that."

Shortly after his release, Bruce reunited with offensive coordinator Mike Martz by signing with the 49ers for two years and $6 million.

The Rams, meanwhile, gave a $30 million contract to receiver Drew Bennett, who made only one catch before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.

Bruce has 25 catches and leads the 49ers with 413 receiving yards, a 16.5-yard average and four touchdowns.

Sunday's game might not have any special meaning for him, but there is some extra spirit in St. Louis.

"I want to actually hit him pretty good," linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Seriously, I do. I want to hit him pretty good because I know he's going to come out, he's going to try to prove something. We don't want that. It'll be good to see him do good, but not against us.

"So when I hit him, I'm not going to say nothing because I want to hit him again, and hit him again, and I'll say something to him after the game."

The Rams expect Martz to be extra revved up Sunday. St. Louis went 53-32 with Martz as head coach; the Rams are 17-35 since.

Martz has faced his old team once before, as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in a 2006 game. The Rams won that one 41-34.

"I expect a very aggressive game plan, a very intense demeanor and coaching style this week,'' Rams receiver Torry Holt said. "He's like that every week, but I know Coach and I've been around him. This week, he'll be tuned in."

The 49ers announced a change to Monday's official box score. A 2-yard catch with 3:52 remaining in the fourth quarter should have been credited to Bruce, not Jason Hill.

That means Hill's final total is six catches for 82 yards and Bruce's final line is two catches for 14 yards.

Safety Mark Roman was added to the injury list with a groin strain. Roman did not practice. Receiver Arnaz Battle (foot), safety Dashon Goldson (knee) and receiver Josh Morgan (groin) have already been ruled out.