Known as "Mooney" in the San Francisco 49ers locker room, Charvarius Ward earned another nickname, "AP," during the summer as teammates hoped to inspire the veteran cornerback to achieve an All-Pro season. Ward has hauled in three interceptions over the last three games, bringing his season total to a team-leading five. It's one more than linebacker Fred Warner, who had an opportunity to praise Ward on Tuesday.
"It's been so special to watch because being there since day one of him getting here and watching the progression of him as a player, the work that he puts in, his confidence growing more and more each day," Warner said on Bay Area radio station KNBR's "Murph and Markus" show.
Reflecting on his own career, Warner recalled the time it took to gain recognition with Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors. Teammates, including tight end George Kittle, campaigned for Warner, affectionately calling him "Pro Bowl Fred" and later "All-Pro Fred" to help generate buzz around the linebacker.
"Those things, I think, matter in terms of a player's confidence and believing in themselves because, at the end of the day, Mooney has had this ability," Warner continued. "This talent to do the things that he's doing, he's had it all along. It's just the level of confidence that he's playing at now, knowing it and believing it, going out there every Sunday and making plays—big, huge plays—for our defense, it was always there. But just to be able to help build his confidence up, I'm so happy for him."
With a current rating of 85.6, Ward is poised to achieve his highest-ever Pro Football Focus grade. His 86.9 coverage grade is a career-best and ranks third among NFL cornerbacks.
"He fully deserves to be an All-Pro this year," Warner declared. "I'm sure he'll be a Pro Bowler as well. And we're going to need him big-time down the stretch here. This is where all of our playmakers got to step up and make big plays, but can't speak enough to how proud of Mooney I am."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Warner below.
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