"That was one of the worst games of my career, though, because Kyle was calling some plays," Ward told NBC Sports Bay Area's 49ers Talk podcast. "There would be like six guys going right, but the ball was going to the left, so my eyes were all over the place. I was still young, my second year in the NFL. I was in the Super Bowl, and Kyle was just drawing up these crazy plays."
Once Ward hit free agency, knowing the talent level of the team and its head coach, he wanted to join the 49ers. San Francisco signed Ward to a three-year, $40.5 million deal. It was surprising considering the team's track record of not spending on upgrading the secondary—except for Richard Sherman years back.
Ward desires greatness. He wants others to mention him in discussions of the best in the game. That's what drives the young cornerback to work hard. However, he knows he's not there yet and feels some may even be overlooking him—even after a huge payday—and the 49ers defensive backs unit.
"It really wasn't a splash signing," Ward admits. "It was a lot of money, but people still kind of overlooked it. People might still say the 49ers should have drafted a cornerback in the first round (Note: They didn't have a first-round pick). But we've got me. We've got [Emmanuel Moseley]. We've got Jason Verrett. We've got a lot of young corners. Ambry Thomas, Deommodore Lenoir.
"I feel like we're going to be—I don't want to make any crazy predictions—but I feel like we're going to be a great secondary. All of us can cover. All of us can tackle. All of us can force turnovers and catch some balls. We're going to show the world what we're capable of."
Ward added: "Of course, our D-line is one of the best in the league. ... We've got the best front seven in the NFL. And the back end, we're not getting any respect. I feel like if we lose a game, they'll probably try to put it on the DBs. But that's not going to happen this year."
On Wednesday, safety Jimmie Ward shared that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is one of two players (the other is Nick Bosa) who are the MVPs of training camp. The third-year wideout has been impressing his teammates and putting together day after day of solid outings.
Charvarius Ward is among those impressed.
"B.A. be having a great camp," Ward said. "I love competing against B.A. He's got big hands, long arms, and he can jump like almost 60 inches in the air. He's great to compete against. ... I got big hands. His hands are bigger than mine. B.A. got the potential to be one of those great receivers. He can be a real wide receiver No. 1.
"He can run routes, go balls, he can catch slants, short passes, everything. He's got that potential. He's just got to continue to work on his game."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Ward below.
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