From shark slippers to Hall of Fame dreams: 49ers rookie minicamp notes and quotes

The San Francisco 49ers officially kicked off their rookie minicamp this week, giving media a chance to hear from several members of the team's 2025 draft class. Over Thursday and Friday, rookies shared insights about their early impressions, teammates, and personal motivations. Here are some notable quotes, stories, and observations from those conversations.

Collins models game after Pro Bowl D-lineman

Second-round pick Alfred Collins, a former Texas defensive tackle, was asked which NFL players he studies or models his game after. He didn't hesitate to name a six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman.

"I really like Calais Campbell," Collins said. "He's just someone my size—tall, can do it all. So, I want my game to be versatile."

Campbell is listed at 6-foot-8 and 307 pounds. Although two inches shorter, Collins tipped the scales at 332 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"I just like how he plays everywhere on the field and how he attacks his work that's required for him to be great," Collins added.

Airport spotting

Fourth-round pick CJ West, a defensive tackle out of Indiana, is expected to line up next to Collins in the trenches. West recalled meeting Collins for the first time at the San Jose airport.

"I recognized him right away," West said. "I mean, it's kind of hard to miss him. He's huge. I recognized him right away, and I'm like, that's my new teammate, so I gotta make a bond and just do everything I can so that we can succeed."

Collins was informed of West's comments and asked if he also noticed his new teammate at the airport.

"Yeah. He stands out, too," Collins responded with a laugh.

Comfy footwear

West also noticed another new teammate at the airport—linebacker Nick Martin from Oklahoma State. What caught his eye first? Martin's shark slippers.

"You can tell he's a guy with character," West said. "He's going to have a lot of character, and I'm excited to play in front of him and just continue to build that bond and get to know each other."

Martin later admitted to reporters that he owns around 20 pairs of animal-themed slippers.

"They're comfortable and I like animals," he said.

When asked if he wanted a pair of his own, West laughed and said, "That's going to be his thing. I'll let that be his swag. I'll rock my own thing. But no, they're fire."

Martin elaborated on his quirky fashion, saying, "I'm pretty comfortable with who I am, and I've always worn them, so I don't know why I would change them. It got me here. The sharks got me here. The puppies got me here. But it is what it is, and I enjoy it. I enjoy expressing myself through fashion. ... But, yeah, I'm just gonna be myself, always, regardless."

Fighting mentality

Martin, the youngest of four brothers, shared that their mother found an unconventional way to handle their constant fighting in the neighborhood—boxing gloves.

"I remember my mama, she couldn't stop us from fighting, so she got us gloves," Martin shared, "and we started having boxing tournaments around the neighborhood. I feel like that's just one of the things that was just ingrained in me, my mentality at a young age, and it's kind of a part of me now."

How did Martin fare in those neighborhood boxing tournaments?

"I won a lot," he said. "I lost a lot in the beginning because I was fighting people that was like five years older than me. But I felt like that kind of made me grow, just in my mind, and how to approach battles on and off the field.

"And then I started winning, started getting that confidence because I was probably like seven at one point. But yeah, it was cool. It was dope."

Looking like a force

The 49ers' first-round pick, defensive end Mykel Williams, already looks the part of a dominant defensive presence. While Friday's rookie minicamp didn't include team drills—just individual work and instruction under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek—Williams still made a strong impression.

During one drill, he delivered a head-turning moment by overpowering a blocking staff member with raw strength. If he can bring that same intensity against NFL offensive linemen, it won't be long before fans are praising the pick.

49ers add another leader to the QB room

While Brock Purdy remains the unquestioned leader of the 49ers' quarterback room, West believes the team added another strong voice in its seventh-round pick, quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

"He's a leader. He's a guy of character," West said. "He leads by action, and he does what he needs to do. And he doesn't let the outside noise distract him, and I love it."

West and Rourke played together at Indiana, and West called the chance to reunite a "dream come true."

"He's a leader," West said. "... He's just a guy who just does everything right."

Learning from Bosa and Williams

West is especially excited about sharing a locker room with All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa.

"He's somebody I looked up to kind of growing up, watching ball, watching defensive line play," he said, "and now it's becoming real, like, hey, this is my teammate. I'm gonna be playing next to him. So definitely one of the guys I'll pick his brain."

West also hopes to soak up knowledge from veteran offensive tackle Trent Williams, a future Hall of Fame player.

"And one of the offensive linemen is Trent Williams as well," West continued. "He's a vet. He's done it. He's done this for a long time in this league, and just kind of picking his mind on what he did to kind of stay in this position and just continue to be successful, no matter how old he's gotten."

Small but mighty

Cornerback Upton Stout, the 49ers' third-round selection from Western Kentucky, made headlines at the NFL Combine with 21 bench press reps—the most of any participating defensive back.

Stout, who only stands at 5-foot-9, told reporters that he never lifted with the defensive backs in college. Instead, he chose to lift with the linemen.

"I feel like that kind of kept me going," he said. "It kept that strength on me during the season, throughout all that. ... I wasn't always the biggest person. So I was like, if I'm not gonna be the biggest, I've for sure got to be at least one of the strongest."

That strength should serve him well, especially if the 49ers deploy him at the nickel cornerback spot.

"Basically, I'm kind of like another linebacker," Stout said. "You don't want to be in the box too small. So, when I figured I was moving to the nickel last season, our coach really put an emphasis on putting more weight on, getting in the weight room, and just starting to lift with different groups and things like that, just so I can get a feeling to just see what their mindset was and things like that."

Hall of Fame hopes

Former Montana wide receiver Junior Bergen was the last of the 49ers' 11 draft picks, selected in the seventh round with the 252nd overall pick. However, the wideout has high hopes of making his mark in the NFL.

"I want to be in the Hall of Fame," Bergen declared to reporters. "That's been my goal since I was a kid, no matter where that's at on the field."

Bergen is expected to make an immediate impact on special teams as a return specialist. He finished his college career with eight punt return touchdowns, tying the all-time FCS record. Over 68 returns, he averaged an impressive 16.7 yards per return, totaling 1,136 yards, and earned first-team All-American honors as a senior.

"My dad, when we were working out, when I was younger, is always talking about gold jackets, so that's what I'm going to work to, and try to get there," Bergen said.

However, he also hopes to contribute to the offense as a wide receiver. When asked for a self-scouting report, he said, "[I can] do a little bit of everything—block, catch, run decent routes. I think I do a little bit of everything, and just ready to contribute any way I can."