Shanahan's final season as the Falcons' offensive coordinator was during Hooper's rookie year. The tight end remembers Shanahan game-planning with the offense and accurately predicting what defenses would do in response to his play calls.
"If he called it, it actually happened," Hooper said. "It was crazy. I just thought that's what an NFL offensive coordinator was. I just didn't know any better.
"Wednesday meetings, he was like, 'Yeah, we're going to run this here as soon as they go eight-box, and then we're going to score. I'm just like, 'Okay, this is probably coach-talk. Whatever.'
"And then it actually happened. I'm like, 'This guy is Nostradamus. This guy is a fortune teller.' And it would happen every time. I mean, we scored so many points that year. Obviously, players were already bought in, but when the guy is shooting 90 percent at the free-throw line, you tend to believe he's going to make it."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers Notebook: Shanahan updates left guard battle, explains Alfred Collins' extended playing time; Jordan James, Jordan Watkins show their stuff
The preseason came to an end for the San Francisco 49ers with an 18-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, meaning there's officially less than two weeks before they kick off the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. But first, let's... -
49ers' Kyle Shanahan shifts focus to regular season: "It's going to get real, real fast"
The 2026 NFL preseason is in the books, and the San Francisco 49ers finished their exhibition schedule with an 18-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, the focus shifts to the regular season, with San Francisco set to face the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, in Week... -
Why 49ers' Kyle Shanahan refused to name players who stood out vs. Raiders
A few San Francisco 49ers players made positive impressions on head coach Kyle Shanahan during Thursday night's preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders. However, Shanahan opted to remain tight-lipped about his personnel evaluations, giving reporters little insight into his... -
49ers injury news: Kyle Shanahan provides 3 key updates after win over Raiders
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters after Thursday night's 18-12 preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, providing three key injury updates from the game. Rookie cornerback Ephesians Prysock, a fourth-round pick in the 2026...