San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Jauan Jennings remembers seeing Wes Welker in the distance at the NFL Scouting Combine. Little did he know at the time that Welker would eventually be his position coach.
While in Indianapolis, Jennings ran a quick search on his phone for photos of Welker, just to make sure it was him.
"I remember watching him growing up – an undrafted Pro Bowl, All-Pro slot receiver who broke a ton of records throughout his 12-year NFL career," Jennings recently wrote for a feature on 49ers.com. "So, I walked over to him and said, 'what's up?' I had to."
Fast forward to today, and Welker is the one showing him the ropes of what it means to be an NFL receiver. Joining a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance, and the many superstars who are now his teammates, it was Welker who Jennings was most excited to see upon reporting.
"I really enjoy being around him and picking his brain," wrote Jennings. "I feel super lucky to be able to learn from one of the best to do it."
Jennings has already noticed the uniqueness of the 49ers locker room. The team has excellent chemistry and knows how to have fun. But when it comes time to step onto the field, it also knows how to put in hard work.
"Even the walkthroughs are competitive," noted Jennings. There's a mindset in this building that you instantly feel in this locker room. Although they know how to have fun, they take this very seriously. It makes it even more fun to go out there and know that the person across from you is going to give their all.
"... I'm just excited to keep going and continue to grow and learn in this offense. I'm not worried about my own personal accolades. I just want to do what the coaches ask of me and succeed in doing it. My goal is to do what's needed from me to help this team get back to the Super Bowl."
