"Accuracy, intelligence, toughness, quick release."
These are some of the attributes that Jeff Christensen, who is the founder and CEO of Throw It Deep Quarterback and Receiver Academy, believes new San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo possesses.
Christensen has worked with quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian, and Ryan Tannehill. He has also worked with Garoppolo since high school and throughout his college and NFL career.
49ers Webzone had a chance to speak with Christensen about Garoppolo his past week, and he shared some fascinating insight into the quarterback and what drives him.
"He wants to be great," Christensen said, "but he doesn't want to be great at the cost of winning. He'd rather win than get individual accolades."
Outside of the attributes listed above, what can 49ers fans expect to see from Garoppolo, who San Francisco acquired via a trade with the New England Patriots on October 30? The quarterback will be making just his third career NFL start and his first since being sent to the 49ers.
"Keeping plays alive with his feet, buying time in the pocket," Christensen said. "He just has moxie and savvy. He'll come up with plays that most people can't because he has a great feel for the game. I just think they're going to be pleasantly surprised and I don't see why they can't win this weekend, quite frankly. I think they're going to be surprised and I think it's going to be a fun ride for everybody involved."
Garoppolo entered last week's game against the Seattle Seahawks when rookie C.J. Beathard left with a knee contusion and hip strain. With just 67 seconds remaining in the game, Garoppolo completed both of his passes for 18 yards and a touchdown in the 24-13 loss to Seattle.
On Sunday, Garoppolo will be the starting quarterback when the 49ers kick off against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, which is about 30 miles from his hometown of Arlington Heights, Illinois. While it is a homecoming for Garoppolo, his focus is to succeed and lead the 49ers to a win.
"Jimmy is just a very quietly -- very intensely driven person that wants to succeed at the highest of levels," Christensen said.
Garoppolo expects to be great and last week's brief appearance rejuvenated a fanbase that has grown tired of watching bad football. His work ethic is part of what has led him to the opportunity of becoming a franchise quarterback after sitting for years behind one of the greatest to ever play the game.
"When I told him his junior year in college, 'If you keep this up, you'll have the quickest release in the history of the NFL, including [Dan] Marino,'" Christensen said. "And he looked at me, and he said, 'Well, that's what we're trying to do, right?' There was no intimidation by it."
You can listen to the entire interview with Christensen below or on iTunes.
