Veteran tackle Trent Williams wasn't with the San Francisco 49ers during their Super Bowl defeat in February. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had some cut-ups from that game ready to show his players today. Once he did, Williams looked around the room and noticed the reactions of his new teammates.
"Even now, watching the film from the Super Bowl, I can feel the cringe any time that film comes on," Williams told reporters on Saturday. "Everybody still is pretty much holding a grudge about the last game, and they can't wait to get out there and kind of start that quest again.
"I'm just happy to be a part of it, and hopefully I can get back to the big dance with those guys, and we can have a different outcome. To be on this team, they're definitely motivated, and they're definitely driven by the way that last year resulted."
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, like his teammates, took the defeat hard. The loss has motivated him the whole offseason. The entire team arrived at training camp driven to put in the work needed to get back to that point and making amends for February's late-game collapse.
In May, Bourne even went as far as guaranteeing the 49ers would accomplish that goal.
The fourth-year receiver also spoke with reporters on Saturday and was asked about Williams' comments just minutes earlier.
"Today in the team meeting, Kyle showed some of the plays from the Super Bowl, and just how many chances we had," Bourne shared. "That's what crushes us so bad. That's all you can ask for, chances, and we had about three, I felt, to put the game away, offense- and defense-wise. We just didn't finish.
"I just feel like everything happens for a reason. More motivation for us, not get too big-headed in situations like that, or be too cocky. I feel like we kind of felt like we were going to win when it was up 10 points with the ball and stuff like that. When you get that kind of mindset or feeling, things tend to go the other way.
"Just trying to learn from stuff like that, not getting too high on the game, too low. Just being medium and treating it like another game. And it just sucks to lose."