He congratulations. Deed, forty have two pretty prominent linebackers and Fred Warner and Drake green Law. How familiar are you with them and the forty scheme?
Yeah, you know, I've been watching Fred Warner for about two years now, ever since I kind of transitioned from you know, the safety to linebacker, just kind of you know, find somebody that you know, I feel like my game kind of models. Uh, you know, I think, you know, Fred Warner is probably one of the top linebackers in the league, and that's definitely somebody I look look up to. Definitely excited to get to work with him and kind of,
you know, follow his footsteps. I mean, I've been a little bit familiar with the scheme, kind of met with San Francisco quite a bit throughout this process, and like I said, I'm excited to get to work with Johnny Holland and those guys.
He can he can he kind of take us through these these last four years at TSU.
And how you progress to get to become an NFL linebacker.
Yeah, you know, I think it's just you know, dialing in on one aspect of your game, kind of just trying to perfect one thing at the time, not necessarily everything at once, you know. So I think my freshman year was just trying to you know, get a field for linebacker. I haven't really played defense at all, just
trying to find a role. And you know, I think coach p did a great job just you know, transitioning you know, my position and you know, seeing what's you know, my best possibility of you know, getting into the league at any position. So you know, I'm definitely grateful for that, and not like I mean to answer your question, So the I feel like every year, you know, I you know, focused on tackling you know, instincts. You know. Next year, my junior year, I was focusing on, you know, what
is the quarterbacks third down progression? What is who's your favorite receiver and stuff like that. So I think it was you know, the little details, not necessarily you know, just focusing on me. But you know the opponent, uh as well.
You mentioned Johnny Holland, he's one of the longest tenured coaches here with the forty nine ers. What was your conversation like with him and how much you know about how he is as a coach and as a front player.
Yeah, so it's kind of crazy So he's actually from Heimstead, Texas, which is about twenty minutes where I'm from Brenham, Texas. So I kind of got a conversation started there and open up and have a little icebacker there. But you know, I think coach Holland is a great guy. He's definitely going to be himself and I think he just, you know, is a great coach and who's going to put you in the best edition to make plays, and that's what you want as a you know player.
You said you had a lot of contact with the forty nine ers. How far back did it go and how many times did you talk to them?
I talked to him.
My first time talking to him was at the Senior Bowl when we did the little thirty two visits at each podium, and after that the kind of transitioned to, you know, right before you know, the combine and it just stay consistent. I think that was one of the biggest things that, you know, I felt during that process. And I'm definitely glad that I'm in San Francisco right now and definitely excited to get to work.
Dave, go ahead, last one. I d David Lombardi here. I know, speed is one of your calling cards. Maybe you're your biggest calling card. A lot of the you're your highlight tape run blitzes, pass blitz is you're getting to the quarterback quickly. How excited do you get when when a coach or defensive coordinator does dial up a blitz for you?
Man, I think it just you know, opens up you know the playmaker and me, and it allows me to just go make plays. Man. I think you have one task at hand and that's to go get whoever has the ball. So anytime a coach puts you in that position you kind of is kind of exciting. So I think that's one of the biggest stress that I have, is just going to make plays and being a dynamic blitzerd