After he became the general manager of a 2-14 team, John Lynch talked about changing the 49ers’ culture and reconnecting with the team’s Hall-of-Fame alumni.
On Monday morning, Jerry Rice and Steve Young addressed the team before practice. The focus of their message: The culture that pervaded the franchise when it was winning Super Bowls.
Young, for example, shared that he always made sure a coach sent him the game plan a day early so he had extra time to prepare.
“So now,” safety Eric Reid said. “I want to do that with my coach.”
The presence of Rice and Young, who were rarely seen at the team’s facility in recent years, provided players with practical tips on how to replicate the 49ers’ past success.
“When you are talking about the culture, and you have those guys here that won Super Bowls — that knew what it took,” Reid said. “It’s the vibe. It’s all about the vibe. When you walk in the building and you see those faces and, you’re like ‘Man, that’s greatness right there.’ And you ask them how they did it and they can give you little nuggets.”
Rice and Young were present at the start of practice, although they were in vastly different wardrobes. Young, 55, in a blue dress shirt and slacks, left during practice. Meanwhile, Rice, 54, was outfitted in team-issued gear (cleats, T-shirt, shorts) and sported gloves and two wristbands on each arm.
Rice went through warm-ups and individual drills with players. He then ran shadow routes, lining up about 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, during team drills. On two plays, Rice unwittingly sprinted out his of stance and nearly into danger when 49ers running backs rans sweeps toward the left sideline.
Before practice, Young relayed a story about Rice running routes at the facility … the day after a Super Bowl parade.
Young “asked him what he was doing and he said ‘Man, someone is coming to get my job next year,’” Reid said. “So he’s fresh off a Super Bowl and he’s training for the next one. That’s why he was the greatest.”
Twitter: @Eric_Branch
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