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Reid reveals most important lesson from ex-49ers teammate Willis originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Eric Reid broke into the NFL under the tutelage of legendary 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. He spent his first two years in the league learning under the five-time First-Team All-Pro selection while the two were teammates in San Francisco.
During an interview on Radio Row in Las Vegas with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan, Reid revealed how a simple message from Willis ended up being the most important lesson he ever learned from the seven-time Pro Bowl selection.
“You got to do your job,” Reid told Maiocco and Lee Chan. “You got to get it done. The team is depending on you to do your job. Don’t make an excuse, don’t be the reason that we don’t get a stop; we need you to step up. I remember being a young player and him looking at me like, ‘ E, you got to do it. We need you here; we need you right now.’
“Whether it was a blitz or a designed play that I needed to do something. He is that leader that everybody wants. He makes people around him better. They feed off of him.”
The 49ers selected Willis No. 11 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. The Ole Miss product made an immediate impact in San Francisco, taking home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a First-Team All-Pro nod during his first season in the league.
Willis would go on to have a storied career with the 49ers, earning six All-Pro selections during his eight-year NFL career before retiring several weeks after his 30th birthday in 2015.
In addition to the gaudy numbers he posted — Willis led the league in tackles in 2007 and 2009 — the dynamic linebacker proudly took on the role as the backbone of a 49ers team that transitioned from a perennial cellar dweller to a bonafide contender during his stint in San Francisco.
During Willis’ prime, the 49ers reached at least the NFC Championship Game in three consecutive seasons from 2011-2013, including an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/reid-reveals-most-important-lesson-205549782.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-02-08 20:55:49
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