There were San Francisco 49ers players all over the Levi's Stadium field after the team beat the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. They celebrated, took pictures, held the George Halas Trophy, and they knew the work was not yet over.
In case there was any doubt about that, head coach Kyle Shanahan gladly reminded them. At the same time, he wanted his team to enjoy the moment.
"You try not to make stuff up," Shanahan said on Wednesday. "We're going to the Super Bowl, which is a big deal. We recognize that; kind of address that our first meeting after the NFC Championship Game. I tried to tell the guys, 'You can admit it. It feels good. Winning the NFC Championship, it feels good to go to the Super Bowl. I hope you guys enjoy two days, Monday and Tuesday, of feeling really good about yourself.'"
Then, Shanahan delivered a different message to his team. While he trusts his players to remain focused, as they have all season, he wanted to make sure they knew that, despite the higher stakes, this was just another game.
"Now, check your ego out the door because [the celebrating] is over," Shanahan said. "That will be very short-lived if we don't find a way to win this game. And it's all about winning this game and nothing else.
"When you guys go down there (to Miami), there will be a lot of stuff up. There will be nicer signs around us, and more people asking questions. There will be a couple of more interview sessions we have to go to. But besides that, everything else is exactly the same, and that's how the game goes too.
"There's going to be a lot more people on the sidelines. It will be a longer day for us, just waiting for it, but once that ball snaps, it's just a football game [between] two really good teams. Anything else that you put in your mind is going to help you not win that game."
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