Moseley shines with physical, mental strength
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh describes secondyear 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley as “unflappable.”
Willie Martinez, who helped recruit Moseley to Tennessee, recalls the game that convinced him that was true.
On Oct. 18, 2014, the Volunteers went on the road to play thirdranked Ole Miss and Moseley — then a true freshman — found himself covering receiver Laquon Treadwell, who would become the Rebels’ alltime receptions leader and a firstround NFL draft pick. Moseley held his own by making “a couple of great plays on backshoulder throws,” Martinez said.
“We’re playing pressman and he didn’t blink an eye,” said Martinez, now the secondary coach at Central Florida. “We knew at that time, shoot, if he can do it against that guy and not be intimidated … the moment wasn’t too big for him.”
Moseley, the 2018 undrafted free agent who has played a significant role in each of the 49ers’ past two wins, grinned when asked about that game Thursday.
“We practiced those routes all week,” Moseley said. “That route came and I made the play on it. That’s when I kind of knew — I can really play on this level.”
It was also, Moseley said, the first time in college he was asked to replace a starter midgame. In the 49ers’ past two games, Moseley has replaced starter Ahkello Witherspoon, whose struggles of late have included being targeted on the past five passing touchdowns allowed by the 49ers.
Saleh did not say Thursday which player will start opposite Richard Sherman in this weekend’s NFC Championship Game against the Packers.
“We’re looking at everything, letting them go through the week and competing and doing all those things,” Saleh said. “As we get closer, we’ll be able to have a decision.”
Saleh allowed that Moseley “did a really nice job” in 35 snaps Saturday against the Vikings, entering after Stefon Diggs beat Witherspoon for a 41yard touchdown on Minnesota’s second offensive series and finishing the game with five tackles and two pass breakups.
Said Moseley: “You’ve just got to be ready whenever your name is called.”
That Moseley’s name was not called in the 2018 draft wasn’t due to lack of speed or savvy. At Dudley High School in Greensboro, N.C., Moseley played both cornerback and quarterback in a spread offense based on wingT principles. Dudley won a state title in Moseley’s senior year as he accounted for 47 touchdowns and shadowed opponents’ top receivers.
“When he got out, you couldn’t catch him,” said Dudley High coach Steven Davis.
Tennessee offered Moseley a scholarship after he impressed coaches at a camp his senior year, but they still had questions about his weight. Now 5foot11 and 190 pounds, Moseley arrived at Tennessee in January 2014 weighing 145 pounds. Martinez said that Moseley added about 15 pounds before his freshman season but early on still “was not big enough.”
“He had great skill, great feet, he could run, he was smart, but he would get pushed around for a lot of obvious reasons,” Martinez said.
To Martinez, though, that revealed a valuable trait of Moseley, who would start 31 games in college.
“I kid with him sometimes that he’s like a gnat — he ain’t going away,” Martinez said. “You try to wave him off — and that’s what I love about him — he just continues to come back.”
In the 49ers’ Week 17 win at Seattle, Moseley replaced Witherspoon late in the fourth quarter and immediately was targeted. Russell Wilson completed passes of 10 and 24 yards to receiver D.K. Metcalf on Seattle’s final drive with Moseley in coverage. But Moseley responded with a diving breakup of a potential 12yard touchdown pass to Metcalf with 51 seconds remaining.
Against bigger receivers like Metcalf (64, 229 pounds), Moseley said he looks for his own edge.
“Certain things you’re better at, he’s better at, you’ve just got to find out what those things are,” Moseley said. “I try to use my speed a lot … and I’m a lot stronger than what I look.”
Shortly after arriving at Tennessee, Moseley was at a team weight lifting session. For the bench press, a coach eyed Moseley and called for a 185pound bar. Moseley corrected him: 225.
“I killed the 225,” Moseley said. “That’s when everybody was like, ‘Oh, you are pretty strong.’ ”
As a rookie, Moseley spent eight games on the 49ers’ practice squad and then dislocated his shoulder in his NFL debut. He made his first NFL start in Week 5 this season and started nine games with Witherspoon sidelined from Weeks 512 by injury.
“He’s got a tremendous mindset to him,” Saleh said. “He’s always striving to get better.”