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Burford’s ‘natural’ return to left side offers 49ers long-term option originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — As Aaron Banks exited the field at Levi’s Stadium with a calf injury in the second half of the 49ers’ season-opener, Spencer Burford abruptly was thrust into a position he’d never played in the NFL. And he couldn’t have looked more comfortable doing so.
Burford, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, entered Week 1 having played all 1,733 of his NFL snaps on the right side of San Francisco’s offensive line. With Banks’ sudden departure during the 49ers’ 32-19 win over the New York Jets on Monday at Levi’s Stadium, Burford slotted in to the left of the center for the first time since college, and it was a welcomed return for the third-year pro.
“It felt good being back over there, just on the left side in general, just playing felt natural,” Burford told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I was just trying really to get a feel getting back with my guys. I lost all those reps in camp with my broken hand. So I’m just trying to make up that time, making sure I’m locking in, doing whatever they tell me to do.”
Burford played left tackle for over 90 percent of his snaps across his final two seasons at the University of Texas at San Antonio before entering the NFL.
Making the transition to professional football is a daunting task in its own right, further amplified when that leap comes with the challenge of taking on the responsibility of learning an entirely new position to boot.
“To break it down, it’s like you writing with your right hand, and then all of a sudden they tell you to write with your left hand,” Burford said. “You got to learn the new, you got to adapt to it. Everything is natural, you set so long in your sets, how you adjust to certain things. You have to adjust it, switch it, tweak it, and for you to do something so consistently — everything is about consistency when you play offensive line.
“So not being able to be consistent within the job and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/burfords-natural-return-left-side-020015526.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-09-12 02:00:15
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