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How Mustapha’s path to 49ers was influenced by Cowboys fan mom originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Playing professional football was anything but a given for Malik Mustapha.
As a freshman at Weddington High School in Matthews, N.C., Mustapha, at 5-foot-2 and weighing only 115 pounds, might have been the least likely to have an NFL future, but the future 49ers starting safety always played bigger than his size.
“My first football memory, they put me on the O-line at first in my Pop Warner days and I tackled somebody instead of blocking them,” Mustapha told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I guess that was the first football moment that I had.
“Then next moment was finally getting the ball for the first time and scoring a long touchdown in my first game. That will always be a special moment in my football journey.”
Between high school and college recruitment, Mustapha added 70 pounds and eight inches of height to his frame during a growth spurt, but that still wasn’t enough for most FBS football teams to offer a scholarship.
Dreams of playing at nearby Wake Forest University seemed like an impossibility, which made Mustapha adjust his path with an assist from his mother, Dee Myles.
This wouldn’t be the last time Mustapha’s mother influenced his path to the NFL. The former Dallas Cowboys fan knew that for her son to make it in football, his odds would increase if he focused on playing defense.
With many of his teammates wanting to have the ball in their hands as wide receivers and running backs, Mustapha honed his skills as a defensive back, as his mother suggested.
“He got into the end zone so easily as a running back,” Myles said with a smile. “I thought it would be more challenging for him and I thought he would have more fun hitting people.”
Hitting opponents already is what Mustapha is known for at 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara. Fred Warner has taken notice, and the All-Pro linebacker is pleased to have another “enforcer” on the defense.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mustaphas-path-49ers-influenced-cowboys-163209534.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-12-01 16:32:00
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