Young’s message strikes a chord
MIAMI — The 49ers are a young team, but they seem to understand how important it is to relish the experience this week. Some of that might be because they took the words of former 49ers quarterback Steve Young to heart.
“We had Steve Young talk to us before the Rams game and it was pretty special,” tight end George Kittle said.
Young told the team that his 49ers went to the Super Bowl (in January 1989 and 1990) and then struggled to get back. He warned the players not to expect that this kind of opportunity will be a regular occurrence.
“He said, ‘You have one opportunity and then you don’t know what’s going to happen,’ ” Kittle recalled. “Guys leave, coaches leave. So, don’t squander this opportunity. Don’t squander a single rep.
“That hit home with a lot of guys. When you’re winning, it seems pretty easy. But you don’t want to squander all that hard work. I think we’ve been at a different level of focus since then.
“It’s added emphasis coming from Steve Young, who is an absolute monster,” Kittle added. “He’s a great guy. It’s great having him around. You kind of felt that legendary part of him.”
Rookie defensive end Nick
Bosa agreed.
“For someone like him, a legend, to come in and give us some nuggets about what we need to focus on, it resonates with everyone,” Bosa said.
Even the youngest member of the team is not taking anything for granted.
“No NFL team stays the same every year,” Bosa said. “I’m trying to soak in my time with this group.”