Player Feature: Trey Sermon
Golden Nuggets
- Cites his mother, Natoshia, as one of his biggest inspirations for the resilience she's displayed throughout her life. Her book entitled, "When My Soul Cried" and her nonprofit organization Arise By Faith supports victims of domestic abuse. "I attribute a lot of his success to the strength of his mom," said Billy Shackelford, Sermon's former coach at Sprayberry (Marietta, GA) HS. "His mom is a phenomenal lady. She brings both bags of tricks: she's tough, but also nurturing and loving."
- Born the day before Super Bowl XXXIII, in which his home-town team Atlanta Falcons appeared, his mother looked at him and said, "This is going to be you one day."
- Drawing inspiration from his last name, he developed the nicknames 'Preacher' and 'Minister (of the End Zone)' from his teammates.
Read more about Trey Sermon by clicking his bio below.
Coach's Corner:
This month's "Coach's Corner" comes from 49ers defensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel.
Deebo has said that he learned recently, or in the last couple of years, what he needs to do physically and mentally to be an elite receiver. When did you see that mental shift from him?
"It started in not application, but guys only know what they know. You don't know what you don't know. And [Buffalo Bills WR] Emmanuel Sanders coming here for half the season was a big deal for him because he was a guy that's been in the league for 10 years and understood what it means to be a pro. And the rigors of the NFL season are brutal, they get one true day off. A lot of them have to do things for their body on that day, but it's six months of grind. So, you saw the beginning elements of that and who knows what it would've looked like last year, had he not gotten injured. So, we didn't really get a total vantage point of where he was at. This year training camp, August, we saw it in practice. I think he was looking around and saying, 'Okay, well, who's going to get everyone going?' It's kind of me and since maybe right when preseason games started going and he had a couple outings in the preseason he wasn't too fired up about, he's really put his foot on the gas, and he hasn't looked back."
Is there an advantage to running out of the gun?
"There can be there, in terms of, first and foremost, can you have accurate snaps? That's the first way to blow a play up is if the quarterback can't handle the football. Typically, there are some disadvantages in terms of where backers can play and whether or not they have to play the front side that much, but that's something that we've put a lot of time in to make sure that, 'Hey, if they are overplaying our offset gun, how do we make them pay?' That's something that is really the lens we approach every play, and every scenario is what does the defense do to take this away or make it worse? Okay then so we need to work on something to take advantage of that."
To learn more about Coach McDaniel, click the bio below.
WON of Us: Leslie
Leslie was born into 49ers fandom and has continued her family's traditions since 1955.
Faithful Since…
December 26, 1955, also known as the day that I was born. I was born into it. Everyone in my family was a 49ers Faithful. My mother and father had moved to the Bay Area. My maiden's name is Shaw and at the time that my parents had moved west, Buck Shaw was the head coach of the 49ers. Naturally it was easy for my father to root for the team instantly. Dad was from Texas and loved football. My mother was a farm girl, first generation American and only one of her siblings born in the U.S. Back in those days, it wasn't uncommon for families to gather and listen to sports on the radio together since TVs weren't around. It was because of this that my mother learned to love sports and become a fan. Even though she would never play the game of football, she grew up hearing so many games that she was very well educated in the game. She would take that knowledge and pass it on to both me and my brother. She was such a big fan that in the Super Bowl LIV edition of the Modesto Bee, they featured her on the front page.
What do you love about WON?
I love that the group puts a specific emphasis on women in the fanbase. We are a community of fans that deserve to be celebrated. We are just as knowledgeable and enthusiastic as the men who are fans. I really appreciate that the organization is engaging with this specific pocket of fans.
Was there one inspirational moment in team history that confirmed your 49ers fandom?
Of course it has to be the game featuring The Catch! But while that 49ers touchdown was phenomenal, I love that game because of what the defense did after Dwight Clark's historic moment. I honestly thought that the offense had scored too fast. But Stuckey forced Dallas to fumble and secured a trip to the Super Bowl, that was the moment that I love. It preserved The Catch and ushered in the gold era of 49ers football.
Get to know WON member Leslie.
What 49ers tradition or superstition do you/your family have?
On gameday, we have to wear or Red & Gold! Shirt, jersey, or whatever you've got, you wear it as soon as you wake up. In our family we believe in God, family, and football. If we have a 10AM kickoff, we attend the Saturday evening service. If it is an afternoon or evening game, we'll go to church, watch the game as a family and usually gather for a meal to discuss the game.
What impact has the 49ers had on your life?
49ers football has taught me to be a gracious winner and a good loser. What I mean by that, as a fanbase we are a classy group that maintains winning and losing with honor. A great example I can think of is from Monday Night Football vs. Seattle in 2019. We were at the game and there were some Seahawks fans with kids in front of us. When the game ended and unfortunately the 49ers were not victorious, we witness 49ers fans congratulating these kids for being on the winning side of the contest. It just warmed my heart that even in defeat, we have gracious fans to make sure that the kids had a good time and established that their experience with 49ers fans would be positive.
If you know a WON Member that you think should be featured, you can let us know.
Community Connection:
On Tuesday, November 2, the 49ers visited the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield to kick off Salute to Service month. Players including OL Jake Brendel, OL Laken Tomlinson, and DL Darrion Daniels expressed their appreciation for the service members stationed at Moffett and were guided on a tour of the base's helicopters, planes, and pararescues facilities. To thank the military for their service, Brendel, whose sister serves in the Air Force, addressed a group of 50 service members and shared his personal ties to the Armed Forces before presenting a framed Faithful Flag signed by 49ers coaches and players to Colonel Jeffrey Waldman.
Tenured Women of the 49ers Front Office: Esther Chi
Football is a game of numbers. Points scored, time of possession and statistics are among the variables collected, analyzed and referenced on a regular basis. For the business and accounting side of an NFL franchise, numbers are just as important. Esther Chi, 49ers Vice President and Controller, oversees all accounting functions for the team, including financial reporting, accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll.
"When I was hired as a staff accountant, the Accounting & Finance department totaled six full time staff," Esther recalled. "At that time, we were playing at Candlestick Park and our sole business was NFL football. I was an individual contributor and handled revenue accounting, sponsorship/suite billings and collections, and daily cash management."
This Month in 49ers History
Dec 3, 1989
Steve Young relieved injured quarterback Joe Montana and guided the 49ers to a come-from-behind 23-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. San Francisco managed just two Mike Cofer field goals in the first half and trailed 10-6. Young, who replaced Montana late in the first half, hit on 11-of-12 passes for 175 yards, including 10 straight completions. Young also scored on a one-yard dive. Wide receiver John Taylor turned five catches into 162 yards, including a 38-yard scoring reception that gave the 49ers a 13-10 lead midway through the third quarter. Running back Roger Craig added 97 yards rushing and 32 yards receiving.
