On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga received plenty of praise from one of the greatest defenders ever to step on a football field. Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott joined KNBR's Murph & Mac show and was asked about the 49ers' talented second-year safety, who has spent this season wowing film evaluators.
"The kid is phenomenal, and what I love is the timing, and the anticipation, and the feel [for the game]," Lott said. "What's great is that here's a guy that looks like he's moving faster than everyone else. And what I mean by that is his anticipation of understanding the moment. So, those kinds of situations where you are anticipating feeling the game, understanding the game, seeing the field, and being present to know, 'I'm trying to observe all of what's going on, on the field,' that's what you want to see from all of your guys."
Lott commented that the 49ers have other players who do the same thing, naming linebacker Fred Warner as an example. Hufanga, like Warner, is an exceptional talent.
"This young man, the way he gets around, and what he does, and the plays that he's made so far have been just outstanding," Lott added.
Hufanga leads all NFL defensive backs in run stops with nine. The next closest defensive backs have five.
Hufanga trains with another Hall of Fame safety, Troy Polamalu. Of course, that comes as no surprise to Lott.
"To me, what I see is, I see a lot of Troy," Lott said. "And the reason I see a lot of Troy is that the beauty of when you watch somebody, when you watch what they do, and how they do it, it mimics certain things. So what I've seen is the mimicking of certain situations where getting across the line of scrimmage, or being able to anticipate on a blitz, or being able to see something that you watch on film and being able to anticipate that in getting to the position you need to get to."
Lott praised Hufanga's passion for the game and how he prepares himself each week, feeling that the young safety is on his way to becoming a special player.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lott below.
