placeholder image

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports


49ers’ Jordan Matthews received this advice from Jerry Rice before entering the NFL

Jul 30, 2019 at 7:15 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't know Jordan Matthews personally before the 49ers signed the wide receiver. However, the team's new offensive quality control coach, Miles Austin, did. They were teammates for a season in Philadelphia and Austin vouched for Matthews' football intelligence and work ethic.

"We wanted to get a veteran in here," Shanahan said on Sunday. "We wanted to get a guy preferably with more size if we found one we liked. We wanted a smart guy who could help be an example, and he's been exactly that. He's pushing these guys. I mean, he's going to be in the mix."

And a nice little piece of trivia which connects Matthews to the 49ers' storied history, in case you missed it when he was signed in March, is that he is Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice's second cousin.

Matthews joined KNBR on Monday and discussed some advice he once received from the 49ers legend.

"Way before he was who he is now, the GOAT, they actually called him Jerry 'World' Rice back at Mississippi Valley State because they said he could catch anything in the world," Matthews said on the "Papa and Lund" show. "Growing up, I would say that he was always an inspiration, more just how he would work on the field and everything.

"But I had a great father in my life, so I never, even with Jerry being my cousin, I would never put my heroes above my dad. So I always took most of my lessons from my dad. But I finally got to the point before I was going into the league, I said, 'Okay, I just want to talk to Jerry this one time about football.'

"But I was like, 'The guy's busy, so I don't want to bother him every day.' I said, 'I want to talk to him one time about football, going through the draft, and get some advice.'

"I called him up, I said, 'Hey, I just need something. Just give me something that I can take with me through the draft process, Senior Bowl, workouts.'

"He said, 'Jordan, all you've got to do is when you go out there, just tell yourself, "I'm the best guy on this field." Even if you're not, if you tell yourself that, you're going to give yourself the best chance to have a great day that day. Don't worry about anything else.'"

That led Matthews to head to the NFL Scouting Combine and tell himself he was the fastest player lined up to run the 40-yard dash. He ended up running a 4.46 40-time, according to NFL.com.

Matthews brought that mentality with him to the 49ers.

"Look, there's talent on this receiving group," Matthews continued. "You've got Marquise Goodwin, who's got world-class speed. Dante Pettis, I've got great respect for. Deebo Samuel, I player I've loved. I mean, I was teammates with Alshon (Jeffery — also out of South Carolina). He would always talk about Deebo back at South Carolina. I love Kendrick Bourne's game. I love his dance moves, too.

"But I come out here, and there's a ton of competition in this room. At the same time, I always tell myself, 'Hey, you're the best on this field. You're going to be the best teammate. When you get home, you're going to be the best husband, the best father.' So I still use that advice today."

You can listen to the entire interview with Matthews below. The receiver also discusses how dull Buffalo is, playing in Kyle Shanahan's offense, learning from assistant coach Wes Welker, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, buying No. 81 off of Trent Taylor, and more.

It's a fun interview.




Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

Andy Reid praises 49ers' Brock Purdy, has advice for Kyle Shanahan

By David Bonilla
Mar 25

Super Bowl-winning head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs witnessed all he needed from Brock Purdy last season to assure him that the San Francisco 49ers are in capable hands at the quarterback position. Purdy was an MVP nominee in 2023 and had his 49ers just a play or two away from clinching a Super Bowl victory away from the Chiefs. Unfortunately, for Purdy and the 49ers, Reid and his own quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, widely regarded as the best in the game today, dashed their Super Bowl dreams in overtime last month. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, speaking at the NFL owners meetings on Monday, Reid stated, "Yeah, I


placeholder image

49ers to host USC WR Brenden Rice on pre-draft visit

By David Bonilla
Mar 21

Justin Melo of The Draft Network reports that the San Francisco 49ers will host USC wide receiver Brenden Rice on a pre-draft visit in Santa Clara. The 49ers were among the teams that met with Rice, the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, at the NFL Scouting Combine. #USC WR Brenden Rice has completed a 30 visit with the #Chargers, per an NFL personnel team source.Rice met with the


placeholder image

49ers insider: If Brandon Aiyuk is traded, it will be before the draft

By David Bonilla
Mar 20

Brandon Aiyuk appears open to the possibility of playing elsewhere in 2024. If the San Francisco 49ers can't negotiate a favorable long-term deal with their star receiver, he knows someone else will. However, the 49ers primarily aim to retain Aiyuk for the long haul. The team exercised the fifth-year option on his contract but seeks to secure an extension before he retakes the field. General manager John Lynch recently praised Aiyuk, calling him one of his "favorite guys around the building." "He's a competitor. He's a warrior," Lynch added. "He plays with such physicality, also with grace, in the way some of the positions his body can get into. And then he's got a flair


placeholder image

NFL Draft: 49ers meet with OT, DB, LB at Pro Days

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

The San Francisco 49ers recently attended UCLA's and Fresno State's Pro Days, aiming to bolster their roster with promising prospects. With an eye on the 2024 NFL Draft, the team may want to add to their defensive back and linebacker positions. The 49ers observed defensive back Alex Johnson's performance in Westwood. When asked about his interactions with NFL teams, Johnson revealed, "I'm on my way to talk with the Niners right now." UCLA defensive back Alex Johnson is meeting with the San Francisco 49ers after his Pro Day in Westwood.


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone