Col head ijnim43mpyt G lbelacdkertyotfy gang now
HE understudied Tom Brady for three years, makes more money per season than any player in NFL history, and in the close-season dated a porn star almost old enough to be his mother.
But for Jimmy Garoppolo, 26, it is time to get down to the business of making San Francisco great again.
While the 49ers’ last decent quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, continues his ‘take a knee’ dispute with the league, Jimmy G has installed himself as the new leader on a team that once boasted Joe Montana and Steve Young – and pines for past glories.
Garoppolo transferred in from New England late last season on a five-year $137.5m contract and is keen to get going on his first full season, starting tonight at the Minnesota Vikings.
He said: “You’ve got to be the guy as the quarterback but you also want to be one of the guys. I’ve always thought that way since I became a quarterback.
“I was a defensive player so I never thought of myself as a head guy but I think that has served me well, becoming a quarterback and being that way.
“We have a good locker room and that makes being a leader a lot easier. We have a solid group and everyone is thinking the same way.
“I love coming to work every day with these guys. It’s fun and that’s what makes it a lot easier.” A lot easier than answering questions a couple of months ago after being out to dinner with 41-yearold porn star Kiara Mia (left).
Stepping out of Brady’s shadow has its drawbacks.
Garoppolo said: “Life is different now. I’m under a microscope.”