The linebacker duo of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman hold a special place in the hearts of the Niner Faithful. San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Fred Warner, who was a third-round selection in April, missed playing with Bowman by one year. He hopes to one day have his name spoken in the same breath as the talented linebackers who came before him.
Warner joined KNBR on Thursday night and briefly discussed trying to live up to the standard Willis and Bowman set in San Francisco.
"Those guys set [the bar] pretty high, obviously," Warner said. "They are legends around here. Obviously, I have to try to meet that expectation, and that holds a lot of weight, puts a lot of weight on my shoulders. I feel like I'm built for it and I just try to grind every single day to improve to reach that level someday. I just take it one day at a time."
Warner also discussed the surreal experience of being in his first NFL season and lining up against players he grew up watching and admiring.
"That first preseason game was kind of where I was starstruck," Warner said. "I didn't even play in that game. It was against the Cowboys, and I see Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, dudes like that. They walk out for the coin toss, and I'm standing there like, 'Man, those dudes are right there.'"
Since then, Warner has started each of the 49ers' nine games this season. He has accumulated 73 combined tackles, three passes defensed, and a forced fumble during his rookie campaign.
Warner's tackle total leads the defense and ranks No. 5 overall in the NFL. That doesn't mean he has gotten over being starstruck, at times.
"It's for sure still surreal when I'm lined up out there at Lambeau Field away from Aaron Rodgers," Warner continued. "It's crazy to think about it now, but in the moment, you're just playing football."
You can listen to the entire interview with Warner below.
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