San Francisco 49ers special teams coordinator Richard Hightower may have lost one of his unit's aces with the emergence of running back Raheem Mostert on offense, but he's gained an example for the team's younger players.
Mostert joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He spent time with six teams before landing with the 49ers the next year. Even then, the running back mostly contributed on special teams. That is, after all, where so many NFL players have to prove themselves upon entering the league.
Mostert burst onto the scene last season, and the NFL took notice when he rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
"I would feel bad if I didn't say how proud I am of Raheem and steps that he's taken," Hightower told team reporter Keiana Martin during this week's State of the Franchise event. "That's something that we promote in that room. We want those guys to play really well on special teams and get their opportunity. Because if they get an opportunity on offense or defense, that means somebody noticed them, and then we're helping the team in more than one way. That's kind of what we preach. Our young guys know that.
"I know it's public now, Raheem being on six different teams, but we've been preaching that for a long time. We make sure every rookie knows that coming in, every young guy knows what Raheem had to do to get where he is. We've got so many examples of that."
Hightower takes a lot of pride in grooming players who can work their way to contributing in multiple ways. That includes players like Mostert, who has emerged from his special-teams role and become a focal point on offense.
"Our personnel has done a really good job of getting guys in," Hightower continued. "They really understand what it is to win ball games, what it is to be a team, what it is to play complementary football, to help the offense, to help the defense, and just know what you need to do in order to win games."