Good Morning Faithful,
Here are the top 49ers headlines for Thursday, August 19.
New and Notable
One Pivotal Rookie for Each of the 32 Teams
After watching the 2021 rookie class at minicamp, OTAs, training camp and in the first week of preseason, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein identified the one rookie most pivotal to each team's success this year. For the 49ers, Zierlein looked to third-round pick Trey Sermon. Here's what he had to say:
"Trey Lance is a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense and he's going to become a good starter in time. However, Jimmy Garoppolo remains the 49ers likely Week 1 starter, per GM John Lynch, and the team might not have to lean on Lance this year in order to perform at a high level. On the other hand, a robust running game is the catalyst for a leveled-up Shanahan attack, and Sermon could become the perfect complement to speed back Raheem Mostert, allowing the offense to soar once again."
History of 49ers Camp: UC Santa Barbara and San Jose State University
The 49ers opened their first training camp at Santa Barbara with a new head coach, Dick Nolan, and a fresh staff of assistants, Ed Hughes, Ken Meyer, Jim Shofner and Paul Wiggin. Nolan believed the UC Santa Barbara campus would allow his team to remove themselves from family distractions and concentrate on football. He prepared to meet the players for the first time on July 8, 1968, but a sudden glitch altered their plans. The NFL Players Association went on strike. The players major grievance centered on the NFL pension plan.
While the 49ers veterans remained home, 48 eager rookies reported to Goleta, Calif. for the first day of camp. Unfortunately, the rookies were not allowed to practice until the dispute was settled. They were advised by coaches to stay in shape by running and stretching on the UCSB field. Some of the first-year men later admitted they spent the bulk of their time playing cards and swimming in the campus pools.
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