Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Niners Rookie Deebo Samuel Emerging as Key Target
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
November 21, 2019

Share

SANTA CLARA — Deebo Samuel has emerged as a go-to receiver for the San Francisco 49ers at just the right time.

“He’s fearless. Deebo Samuel is fearless. He’ll run through any catch. You get some receivers running across the middle and they’re looking for who’s going to him them. Deebo is looking for who he’s going to hit. That’s a much different mentality than most people.” — Richard Sherman
Samuel has shaken off a slow start to his rookie season by elevating his game the past two weeks when quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been mostly without his top two targets, with tight end George Kittle sidelined by injuries and Emmanuel Sanders limited by injured ribs.
With 16 catches for 246 yards over the past two weeks, Samuel is proving why the Niners made him the third receiver selected in April’s draft.
“He’s fearless,” teammate Richard Sherman said. “Deebo Samuel is fearless. He’ll run through any catch. You get some receivers running across the middle and they’re looking for who’s going to him them. Deebo is looking for who he’s going to hit. That’s a much different mentality than most people.”
That toughness was a big reason why the Niners were so excited to get Samuel in the draft, with general manager John Lynch saying he had the mentality of a running back rather than a receiver.
That has been evident so far this year as no receiver with more than 50 targets has averaged more yards after the catch than Samuel’s 7.3 this season, according to SportsInfo Solutions.

Samuel Took a Little Bit of Time to Find His Game This Year

“It is just a mentality I always played with growing up,” Samuel said. “The mentality that not one guy is going to bring me down.”
Samuel took a little bit of time to find his game this year but now leads all rookies with 38 catches on the season and ranks fourth with 473 yards receiving.
Samuel had five catches just once in San Francisco’s first eight games and only topped 50 yards once as well, recording five catches for 86 yards in Week 2 against Cincinnati.
But that all started to change two weeks ago against the Seahawks, when Samuel was given a much bigger role with Kittle sidelined by injuries to his knee and ankle and Sanders knocked out of the game early with the rib injury.
Sanders had eight catches for 112 yards in that overtime loss and then followed up the next week against Arizona with eight catches for 134 yards as Kittle once again was sidelined and Sanders limited.
Samuel became the first 49ers rookie since the merger to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. He joined Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Dwight Clark as the only San Francisco wideouts since the merger to have two straight games with at least eight catches and 100 yards.

Photo of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Josie Lepe)

Samuel Is Quickly Earning the Trust of His Quarterback as Well

“The game has not been too big for Deebo at all,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s had to learn a lot on the run through each game, just the stamina it takes to play throughout an NFL game, how different those 65 plays are in the NFL compared to usually those 90 in college just down in and down out. Deebo gets better each week, he studies his game plan as hard as anyone in our building and I think he just gets more confidence with the more opportunities he gets. Just the physicality he’s played with has been a lot for us to rely on, especially for a rookie throughout this time.”

“He’s one of those guys you love to have in your foxhole. He just gets banged up out there, keeps coming back, doesn’t even question it or anything. He’s a fighter, man. You love having guys like that on your team.” quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
Samuel is quickly earning the trust of his quarterback as well, for the toughness he showed in coming back from a shoulder injury sustained on a circus catch by the sideline and his ability to make plays consistently. He missed practice with the shoulder injury Wednesday, but the team is hopeful he will be able to play this week against Green Bay.
“He’s one of those guys you love to have in your foxhole,” Garoppolo said. “He just gets banged up out there, keeps coming back, doesn’t even question it or anything. He’s a fighter, man. You love having guys like that on your team.”
NOTES: Kittle (knee, ankle), Sanders (ribs), RB Matt Breida (ankle), DE Dee Ford (quadriceps, hamstring), K Robbie Gould (right quadriceps), T Joe Staley (finger) all missed practice Wednesday. … DT D.J. Jones (groin) and RB Raheem Mostert (knee) were limited. … LB Azeez Al-Shaair (concussion) was a full participant in practice after missing last week’s game.

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

DON'T MISS

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Halts Dozens of Research Grants at Princeton University

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

DON'T MISS

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

DON'T MISS

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

DON'T MISS

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

DON'T MISS

Auto Sales Surged in Anticipation of Trump’s Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Raid Or Rumor? Reports Of Immigrations Sweeps Are Warping Life In CA’s Central Valley

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

UP NEXT

NFL Postpones Tush Push Decision but Passes Other Rule Changes, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

March Madness: It’s South Carolina vs. Texas and UCLA vs. UConn in Women’s Final Four

UP NEXT

Flores Homers and Drives in 4 to Lead Giants Over Astros

UP NEXT

Glasnow Pitches 5 Scoreless Innings and Dodgers Beat Winless Braves

UP NEXT

Braves’ Jurickson Profar Hit With 80-Game PED Ban

UP NEXT

Shohei Ohtani Adds Another No. 1 to His Resume: MLB’s Best-Selling Jersey

UP NEXT

Tush Push Is the Hottest Topic at the NFL League Meetings

UP NEXT

Former MLB Pitcher CJ Wilson of Fresno on New Torpedo Bats: ‘Still Room for Innovation’

UP NEXT

Torpedo-Shaped Bats Draw Attention After Yankees Hit Team-Record 9 Homers

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

3 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

4 hours ago

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

4 hours ago

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

4 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

5 hours ago

Auto Sales Surged in Anticipation of Trump’s Tariffs

5 hours ago

Raid Or Rumor? Reports Of Immigrations Sweeps Are Warping Life In CA’s Central Valley

5 hours ago

House Speaker Johnson Fails to Squash a Proxy Voting Effort From New Moms in Congress

5 hours ago

UN Agency Closes Its Remaining Gaza Bakeries as Food Supplies Dwindle Under Israeli Blockade

6 hours ago

Hooters Goes Bust and Files for Bankruptcy Protection

6 hours ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

Elon Musk has reclaimed his position as the world’s wealthiest individual, according to Forbes’ 39th annual World’s Billio...

20 minutes ago

21 minutes ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

2 hours ago

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

Nassau Hall at Princeton University is in Princeton, N.J., Oct. 8, 2024. (AP File)
3 hours ago

Trump Administration Halts Dozens of Research Grants at Princeton University

After 31 years of service, Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy IV and Pilot Michael Sill is retiring, having logged over 10,000 flight hours.
3 hours ago

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

Khalid Ahmad holds a poster of his 17-year-old son, Waleed, who died in an Israeli prison, that reads in Arabic, "The hero prisoner Martyr, mercy and eternity for our righteous Martyrs," in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP/Nasser Nasser)
4 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

4 hours ago

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

4 hours ago

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

Vehicles at an Audi showroom in Miami, March 29, 2025. President Donald Trump has said that tariffs would encourage auto companies and their suppliers to move to the U.S. (Saul Martinez/The New York Times)
5 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend