Patrick Willis shares journey from dirt road to Hall of Fame in new kids’ book (paywall)
“His pregame speeches… stressed him out more than any open-field runner ever could. Growing up in rural Tennessee, Willis had a speech impediment and was terrified of raising his hand in class.
“I had trouble reading. I had trouble really speaking. I felt like I didn’t belong,” Willis said. “I thought I was inadequate compared to the other kids.”
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With help, Willis found his voice. And in his final few seasons with the 49ers, he emerged as the leader players counted on for the right words, delivered with a flourish.
“So I’d write stuff out the night before,” Willis, 41, said recently. “Then I’d get up in the morning and change everything. Then I’d be on the bus on the way to the game, and everything would change again.”
Even then, Willis tended to make one last significant edit: He’d chuck the whole speech overboard and speak from the heart.
“What I found to work authentically,” he explained, “was really just looking the guys in the eyes and feeling the room.”
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Schefter casts doubt on potential 49ers target Joey Bosa continuing NFL career
“It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down,” Schefter continued.”
49ers’ Brock Purdy addresses tough NFC West, Rams clash in Australia, George Kittle’s recovery
“I think we have probably the best division in the NFL, respectfully,” Purdy said. “And I think guys all know that on our team, but it’s not always, ‘Hey, it’s about them, it’s about them.’ We have to focus on ourselves, focus on our craft, and how we’re going to go about training camp and getting ready for the season, and put our heads down, and take it one week at a time. Go from there.”
49ers 90-in-90: De’Zhaun Stribling opens up the playbook for Kyle Shanahan
“Stribling can run the deep in-breaking routes that the offense couldn’t run last season. He’s also a threat on back-shoulder fades. Ole Miss used Stribling occasionally on jet sweeps. That’s part of the playbook that was crossed off last season.”
