No Huddle: 49ers Stay Undefeated Behind Their Offensive Stars →
placeholder image

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


Eddie DeBartolo Jr. on 49ers: “Jed will get things straightened out”

Nov 16, 2016 at 2:16 PM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Former San Francisco 49ers owner and 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., joined Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area on his most recent podcast.

DeBartolo will be honored by the 49ers during their home matchup with the New England Patriots on Sunday. The ceremony will be very important to DeBartolo because it will be in front of the fans and is one of the last individual tasks that he needs to do that is related to his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

"A lot of these fans weren't there during our successful years, but I'm sure that their parents were and their relatives were and I'm sure that they're old enough to appreciate what transpired," DeBartolo said. "That is going to be a very emotional big thing for me because my fans – obviously my players and our coaches – but my fans were right up there. They were as important to me as anybody."

DeBartolo went on discuss his start with the 49ers, the hiring of head coach Bill Walsh, and the struggles that they had early on. Solid drafts turned things around quickly and the 49ers became the powerhouse of the NFL.

This morning, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick spoke admirably with Bay Area media about the former 49ers owner. DeBartolo shared the history between himself and Belichick and how that relationship blossomed. "His family was from the same city, which was about five miles from where I grew up," DeBartolo said of Belichick. He said that Belichick had actually met the family of his wife long before the two had met. DeBartolo believes that Belichick shopped at the grocery store that was owned by the parents of his wife.

"That's how this relationship started and then he and I started to get close," DeBartolo said. "I just knew this man was destined for greatness."

Then the topic of the 49ers' current situation came up. The team is spiraling downward and is in the midst of a 1-8 season. "They're going through a very tough time," DeBartolo said. "Things like that happen. Winning becomes something that you get used to. Unfortunately, when you lose, it's hard to break that too. I think Jed [York], truthfully, is doing to do what he has to do to turn things around. I think he's doing it now. There are some distractions. They have the nucleus of some really good, good football players on that team and I think that coach [Chip] Kelly is going to do what he has to do and I'm sure, with the division that they're in -- I think that Seattle's got a good team. I don't think they're the team that they were. I think neither is Arizona and I expected Arizona to be a lot better this year. You have the Rams.

"It's just, you know, it's different. I think that they're in a position, that they can really get over this hurdle and get over what they're going through right now and turn things around. They've been competitive in quite a few of the games even though it doesn't show and you don't have a W in your column.

"I think that Jed -- Jed will be fine. I don't talk to him as much as I used to, but he's a very, very, very smart young man and I think he knows what he has to do and he knows moves that have to be made. I'm just hopeful that everything gets turned around and they start winning and get back to where they were a few years back when they were competing for the Super Bowl and I think that will happen."

Regarding Colin Kaepernick's protest, DeBartolo said that he believes that everyone has the right to have and express their own opinions, but it doesn't mean that he agrees with it. He hopes that Kaepernick believes in what he is doing and what he is doing is right. "I can't say that he's right and I certainly can't say that he's wrong, but I can say that he has a right to express his feelings," DeBartolo said. "This is a free country and he has that right."

DeBartolo said that if Kaepernick's protest had happened during his ownership, he would probably stand by that position. However, he is not sure that Bill Walsh would have. "Walsh was not the type of person that would put up with situations that were distractful or distracting to the team," DeBartolo said. "I don't know what he would have done in a situation like that, but I don't think that he would have been happy with it. I think that he would have done something very proactive."

DeBartolo doesn't believe that the players have given up on the season. "I know some of the current players," he said. "Honestly, they haven't thrown in the towel. I thought that they played pretty good. They should have and could have won that game in Arizona. I know it's easy to say 'should have,' 'could have,' but I don't think throwing in the towel. I think the coach has them playing. I think that they do have some talent. They've had some injuries too. They've had a lot of distractions, Matt. That really hurts a team. That's as bad as an injury. They'll get it together. Jed will get things straightened out. I assume that coach Kelly will come out of this and be the type of coach that they want him to be."

You can listen to the entire interview, which includes numerous other topics of discussion, on CSN Bay Area.



LISTEN

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

49ers WR Deebo Samuel's status appears to be trending up ahead of Week 4

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 30

The San Francisco 49ers announced their weekly practice squad elevations, sharing that wide receiver Willie Snead and cornerback Kendall Sheffield will be called up to the active roster for their Week 4 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. With the announcement that Snead would be called up, one may assume that 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel's status would be trending down, as the 49ers expect to add another wideout to the active roster for Week 4. However, it's actually the opposite. Looking at the injury report, the 49ers aren't at risk of just missing Samuel, but


placeholder image

Why Brandon Aiyuk is becoming even more valuable to the 49ers

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 30

The San Francisco 49ers handily defeated the New York Giants in Week 3, winning 30-12 to improve to 3-0 on their season, scoring over 30 points for the third consecutive week of the season. Despite the comfortable win, the 49ers were nowhere near the "A-Game" offensively, struggling on some early drives and kicking field goals when touchdown opportunities were present, ultimately showcasing how dangerous this offense could be. While there were missed opportunities present last Thursday, another element that the 49ers were missing was emerging wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who was inactive due to a shoulder


placeholder image

49ers run defense faces first real challenge vs. Cardinals

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 30

The San Francisco 49ers have dominated through three games this season, outscoring opponents 92-42 en route to a 3-0 record, which only has been matched by two other teams in the NFL thus far. Through three games, the 49ers have started strong, forcing opponents to implement more of a pass-heavy approach, while their opponents haven't been strong rushing teams as well. In Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers threw the ball 46 times, rushing just 10 times in a 30-7 loss to San Francisco. The Los Angeles Rams had 55 passing attempts and 22 rushes in Week 2, while the New York Giants had 33 passing attempts to 11 rushes in Week


placeholder image

49ers' Deebo Samuel expected to play vs. Cardinals, per report

By David Bonilla
Oct 1

The San Francisco 49ers officially listed wide receiver Deebo Samuel as questionable for today's game against the Arizona Cardinals. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Samuel is expected to play. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings (shin) and running back Elijah Mitchell (knee) are not expected to play. 49ers' WR Deebo Samuel, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a rib and knee injury, is expected to play vs. the Cardinals barring any pre-game setbacks, per source.49ers' WR Jauan Jennings


Featured

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone