Shortly after being drafted No. 25 overall by the San Francisco 49ers, former Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk posted the following photo of himself wearing a Niners shirt at age four.
It was already written ...4 years old!! So excited to be a part of the @49ers organization! #faithful pic.twitter.com/frt7u94To3
— Brandon Aiyuk (@THE2ERA) April 24, 2020
Aiyuk jumped on a Zoom conference call with reporters after hearing his name called in the 2020 NFL Draft and shared the background of that photo.
"My mom has been a huge 49ers fan her whole life," Aiyuk explained, "so that kind of bled on me a little bit when I was younger."
Aiyuk has asked if he has remained a 49ers fan since then.
"So I wouldn't say a fan throughout," he responded. "I just kind of just move with players. But, definitely, when I was younger, I was rolling with the 49ers because of my mom."
Aiyuk is probably a big fan again. He is excited to have the opportunity to play for head coach Kyle Shanahan, one of the best play-callers and offensive minds in football.
"I know this offense is crazy, with (George) Kittle, and Deebo (Samuel), and Kendrick Bourne," Aiyuk said. "I just know that the offensive coordinator, Coach Shanahan, is a great offensive coordinator. He moves people around.
"Just the way that he manufactured touches for Deebo last year, and just gets everyone involved, I just know it's a scary offense. I'm very excited to get added to that offense."
Aiyuk only played one year as a starter but is confident about a successful transition to the NFL.
"I still have a lot to learn, so I have a lot to grow in my game," Aiyuk added. "I just think that, for me, the ceiling is limitless. I don't think there's a ceiling to my game. That's another exciting part because I know that I can continue to get better."