There must be so many Joe Staley stories just itching to reveal themselves. The fan-favorite has been a staple along the offensive line for over a decade. As other players have come and gone, Staley remains, and he is one of the more interesting personalities in the locker room.
Everyone seems to have a story about Staley, who has been with the 49ers since the team made him a first-round selection back in 2007. Guard Laken Tomlinson shared a story about the 12-year veteran with team reporter Joe Fann on the 49ers Studios Podcast.
"One time we were playing – I think it was actually Jacksonville – we were just going down there," Tomlinson shared. "We had one of those long drives. We were just going down there. We were just going out there, going, going, going, going.
"The next thing you know, I turn around and Joe's dancing for some reason. I was like, 'Joe, why you dancing? Did you just dance?' He said, 'Yeah, I just pancaked some guy.'"
After laughing about it, the situation left Tomlinson very impressed with his teammate. It spoke volumes about the type of person and player Staley is.
"A guy in his 12th year now, still really loves the game," Tomlinson explained. "I look at that, and that's awesome. That's something you look up to. That's inspirational. That's all of the above."
Staley is a six-time Pro Bowl selection. He is one of the most respected offensive linemen in the league and for a good reason. After 11 seasons and 158 starts, Staley has been one of the most consistently good tackles in the game. And he has done it all as a Niner with no desire to play elsewhere.
"Extremely talented," Tomlinson said of Staley. "He's a freak athlete. He's a veteran. He's been in the league for so long. He keeps guys straight. If one of us, or any of us, or even him, if you're not functioning well, he'll make sure we're back on track. He's always the first one to say something, always the guy to kind of mediate how we work.
"That's amazing just to have a guy who's going to set the standard from the get-go and (be) just a natural leader."
Click here to listen to Fann's entire interview with Tomlinson.