May 10, 2024 • 17 mins
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and safety Malik Mustapha joined the 49ers "You've Got Mail" podcast presented by Delta Dental on their first day at 49ers HQ and shared their excitement to kick off their NFL careers at the 49ers rookie minicamp.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to the forty nine Ers You've Got Mail podcast
presented by Delta Dental. I'm your host, Lindsay Polaris.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's been a minute since we all.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Got together for this pod, so welcome back everyone. The
forty nine ers are in the thick of their offseason
workout program, and this weekend is when the twenty twenty
four draft class gets involved. The rookies touchdown at Levi
Stadium for Rookie Minnie Camp on Thursday, and later today
they'll suit up for their first ever practice with the
team to get better acquainted with some of the newest
(00:36):
members of the forty nine ers. We're dedicating this episode
to the rookies. I got to sit down with San
Francisco's first round pick, wide receiver Ricky Piersall in his
first ever visit to HQ, which was actually the Friday
of draft weekend. Listen in for his first impression of
his new team.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Faithful, our first round draft pick is in the building,
Ricky piersaal, this is your first time on this field.
Your posters are all up on this stadium. What is
the feeling of being here at your first day at HQ?
Speaker 4 (01:05):
For sure, words definitely can't describe the way I'm feeling
just walking out here for the first time and kind
of just embracing it and looking around. They had this
like little eddy with my name on it on all
the TVs, which is really crazy because when I was
pulling up for the first time, I saw it right
outside the stadium and I was like, there it is.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
There it is. And then that's kind of where it
hit a little bit.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
You'll see this as you get acquainted with Levi Stadium,
But there's history all over these walls. What excites you
about becoming part of this organization?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
You know, just putting my name into the history, that's
really what it is. You know, just understanding the tradition
and history that lies, you know, in this organization and
how deep it is, and you know, just being able
to be a part of it is it's a big
blessing for me.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So, you know, my dad knows more about.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
The traditional history, and he's he's teaching me along the
ways and he's like, you don't know what this means,
pointing out all the stuff that we walk by, and
I'm like, I'm gonna learn real quick and be a
part of it.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
So the work leading up to becoming a first round
draft pick five years of grinding at the college level.
But you said the most stressful part was waiting to
hear your name called last night?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Why was that?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Just because everything is controllable and this was the unknown.
You know, you don't really know exactly where we're gonna
end up. You have kind of like a range in
your head. I thought, I did. I'm super blessed and
excited to be a part of this program, and honestly,
I think the system fits me perfectly and I could
add to that explosive offense. But yeah, that was probably
the most nervous I was in the process, just because
it was not controllable.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
The forty nine ers were very selective about the content
the contact they made with you in that pre draft process.
You see that call from San Francisco come up? What's
going through your mind?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Be honest, my heart dropped a little bit.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
It was getting to the end of the first round
and I was gonna That's when I started to get
a little bit more nervous, you know, because I do
believe I'm a first round talent and you know, have
all those abilities in one of the top receivers in
this draft. So you know, when it got to the
later rounds, I put my phone down on my lap.
It was the last two picks and I saw San
Francisco had five minutes left to put a picking, and
my phone started vibrating.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
That's my hard job.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
I answer the phone, and you know, now one thing
led to another and I'm here.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
You didn't say a lot on that call, but one
thing that really did stand out. You said that this
organization is getting a workhorse. How do you show that
workhorse mentality day in and day out?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Yeah, that workhorse mentality is a lifestyle. So you know,
day in and day I'll just put it into work,
you know, just constantly reminding myself, you know why I
do this, And that's on the field and off the field,
to be honest.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
So whatever that means.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
You mentioned that your family has been very influential in
your college football career throughout your whole journey. Really, your
dad was also a wide receiver at Northern Arizona. How's
that football DNA shaped your career?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
No, for sure, he put a football in my hand,
probably when I was able to walk.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
So there's that little funny story.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
That's how with the skittles, and he was feeding me
the skittles every time I caught the ball. So that
just shows the detail that he put into me, you know,
and I can't thank him enough. You know, if he
wasn't part of my life, you know, I wouldn't be
here in the situation. And so he taught me basically
everything I know, and I just ran with it at
that point.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
So, I mean, Skittles is your favorite candy.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I feel like it's got to be up there. It's
got to be top five, just because the memory is saying.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
The forty nine ers have several guys with ties to Arizona,
one being QB one.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Rock Perty got to play once in high school.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
He dropped a number of points on you.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
What is the.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
What is the first step in creating that chemistry with
him now that you're playing for the same team.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
He actually texted me this morning, so you know, we're
trying to get that chemistry started right away. But obviously
getting in the filming with him, going over the playbook
is actually probably the first step understanding the plays.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
You know, he's a quarterback, so I got to see
it through his lens.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
But yeah, just you know, having a normal talks with
him and developing that personal relationship with him and getting
to know him.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
On that Ricky Piersall highlight tape, you see really detailed
route running, a forty two inch vertical soft hands.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
What aspect of your game do you take the most
pride in?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
All those things lie into that. But I think just
how competitive I am?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
You know, I think I'm I'm a natural competitor really
obviously a skilled receiver too as well. And I got
that route running ability. You know, I got the understanding
of the game too. That sticks out. And then just
the detail in my work, and you know, I think
that translates on the field too as well. You know,
I feel like I'm very disciplined and you know, get
into my spots and the quarterbacks never gonna be guessing
where I'm at. They know exactly where I'm to be
(05:21):
at each and every place.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
So you got to ask about the fun stuff. The
Twitter handle is slick season. I saw slick rick on
the internet.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So what do you want the faithful to call you?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Come fall? Whatever they wanted to be hod this that
kind of just stuck. That was something that stuck in Florida.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
You know, all the recruiting girl shots and then they
kind of ran with it and then it made it
a universal thing.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
So whatever they want to call me.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Is there an origin story to that. Did anything happen
to about slick Rick? Kind of? It started in high
school for sure.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
My friends called me slick Rick because the rapper, and
then it just stuck with like slick just for short
and then at that point it just carried to Florida
and they just they blew it up with this.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So you've been a Niner for less than twenty four hours.
What teammates have reached out to you, aside from brock
Perty that you mentioned earlier.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Right after I actually got drafted, I think yeah, Brenda
Yuk was the first one to contact me, so we
faced on each other. He congratulated me, and we're just
looking forward to being teammates together.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And once again, I want you to take just one
last look at the stadium here, because come September, this
is gonna be filled with one of the most loyal
fan bases in the NFL. What would you like to
tell the faithful in your first trip to forty nine
ers eah kl You.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Gotta look around real quick because you say you said
take one last look, I gotta actually take a look.
I would just say, you're getting a Google man, You're
getting one that's gonna be dedicated and that's gonna represent
you know, the organization. Organization will in the name on
the back of my jersey, so you know you're gonna
get everything out of me.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Thanks so much for your time, and have a great
rest of the day here.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Thank you, Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
As part of the Rookie Mini Camp Experience, Rookie's got
an in person introduction with the forty nine ers, beat
writers and reporters before we to our next rookie. A
word from our sponsor Niners. Protect your teeth and your
budget with dental plans from Delta Dental. Get fumble free
dental coverage today. Here's what fourth round pick safety Malik
Mustafa shared about day one in the Bay.
Speaker 6 (07:14):
So that was your life change since you received the
phone call from the forty nine ers.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
Oh yeah, it's changed a lot.
Speaker 7 (07:19):
You know, just just excited to be here, you know,
lifelong jer your mind. Just being able to fulfill that,
you know, get started to get to work with the
new team. So just blessed to be able to have
this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So far, since you've been here.
Speaker 7 (07:32):
I mean I've kind of just been doing a whole
bunch of you know, paperwork stuff. I haven't really met
anybody yet, but I've talked to some people over the phone, Like,
you know, you finally hit me up when I got
the call got the drift pick. He dm me on
this Stagram even George Kill dm me and stuff, so
that was pretty cool. So guys have reached out, you know,
coaches are very welcoming as well. So I'm excited to
meet the new guys out there.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
I think when we first talked to you on a
Zoom call, you mentioned Hufonga as somebody who any racer
that you try to model some your game after.
Speaker 8 (08:01):
It's all cool.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
Was it to hear from somebody that that you had
watched from Afar?
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Yeah, it was just awesome.
Speaker 7 (08:06):
And now just being able to be the opportunity to
be his teammate, it's gonna be awesome just being able
to be a sponge and you know learn from him.
You know, the way he just comes down, his tenacity,
his mentality, just the way he approaches the game is
something that you know, I really took a lot about
his book and try to implement my own game. So
it'd be nice to kind of get like a first
hand experience, you know, learn from him and just being
able to be accustomed to the new defense and the
(08:26):
new players on the on the team.
Speaker 8 (08:28):
It's gonna be a while before you really get to
hit somebody. But I assume being done with the forties
and the broad jumps and the verticals and all the
stuff that you train for for the you know, to
get prepared for the draft. Feel good to be behind
you and get closer to playing football again.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Oh yeah, that's why we're all here, you know, just
try to get back to the bases, get back to
why we play this game, things like that.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
So you know it's gonna start for me tomorrow.
Speaker 7 (08:49):
But at the same time, you know, just be able
to learn that playbook as fast as I can so
I can, you know, get back to playing football at
just a fast pace, you know, mentality where I'm able
to be comfortable and be able to you know, make
plays out there for the for the dean, have that
gone through.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
Kind of like what the structure of the practices will be,
the tempo or anything like that.
Speaker 7 (09:07):
Uh, not really, you know, they kind of just gave
us the you know, the mean format. You know, practice
isn't going to be that long. But you know, I'm
just kind of focused on just making every opportunity to
have out there worth it.
Speaker 9 (09:17):
So I've read it, but you're at zero star recruit
What what were people missing when you were in your
high school career or were.
Speaker 7 (09:31):
You just not developed at that for I mean, you know,
sometimes coaches just miss and you know, maybe it's just
an exposure thing as well. You know, I tried to,
you know, transfer that last year of my high school
year to kind of get more. I got a lot
of FCS offers, blessed UH to have those, but you know,
maybe it just wasn't the right time for me. And
you know, I took a good opportunity to go to
University at Richmond and then I was able to be
(09:52):
blessed to transferred to the UH Wake Forest demon Deacons
and have a really promising career there through your career there,
so you know, sometimes you know, maybe it's just not
your time, not your moment. You just gotta you know,
stay the course and just be patient and everything will
work yourself out.
Speaker 8 (10:07):
To reflect on that journey, and then.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Now be here as a nine or how does that kind.
Speaker 7 (10:12):
Of feel when you think of what you mane you're thinking? Now, Yeah,
it was all about, you know, proving myself right and
you know, not worrying about proving other people wrong. You know,
you gotta you know, understand who you are as a person.
You know your identity, your purpose, your journey. You get
caught up in the noise, you know, the social media
era that we're in, get caught up in what other
people are doing. You kind of get lost in your
(10:34):
own path. And I think the main thing for me
was just stay on course with me, worry about myself,
holding on my craft and how am I gonna be
the best mouth move stuff I can be?
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Did you ever watch Uh? Yeah, so I'm gonna have
to dig deep for that film.
Speaker 7 (10:49):
But I definitely heard good things about I'm I'm hip with,
like you know, the John Lynch, the Ronnie Lots of
the world, you know, things like that, So uh, you know,
when I was connected with him at the combine, it
was like something that you know, we hit it off
because you know, safety to safety.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
We have that kind of relationship.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
So uh, definitely gotta you know, maybe pull up on
VHS tapes or something or whatever is dust that off.
But yeah, just awesome to just be part of organization
general manager that you know, just has been a part
of the game, you know it actually understands his players,
understands the game and so on that can relate to us.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Can you tell us a little bit more about that.
Speaker 9 (11:24):
Meeting with Joe Lynch.
Speaker 7 (11:25):
Yeah, so, you know, we're just you know, getting to
know each other, you know, getting able to talk ball.
But it was just, you know, he was kind of
lighting up when I was just you know, breaking down
the you know, wake Forest play calls that they had
pulled up, you know, play by play things like that.
So you know, as a safety you kind of be
able to have to know moving pieces, who's you know,
doing what in the defense, and he was just something
(11:46):
that you know, he saw that I'm you know, I
know what I'm talking about, you know. So it was
just awesome to you know, not just be able to
be able to play football at high level, but understand
the game as well.
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Can you remind me the name of the rule of
wake Forest on the third.
Speaker 7 (11:59):
Downs that you played, Yeah, it was called the Panther.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
How many different responsibilities do you think that entailed? And
then how how many years or how long did it
take to learn all the different kind of positions with
the playbook to be able to play them effectively.
Speaker 7 (12:15):
Yeah, So the new defensive staff and wait forest came
that twenty twenty two season, and I had my ACL
surgery January twenty twenty two, So that Panther package really
didn't get installed until I came back for fall camp,
like in August around that time, and that's when they
started installing different stuff for that because you know, I was,
you know, came back ready to go for camp, and
(12:37):
you know that's when coaches like started comfortable developing new
packages for me. And with that Panther package, there was
a lot of hats that I had to wear.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
You know.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
In the beginning, it was more so like, uh, maybe
some you know, fire zone calls we can get, like
me able to pressure the quarterback, being able to use
my athleticism to kind of disrupt them.
Speaker 8 (12:54):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (12:54):
You know, we saw me spying the quarterback as well.
But there was times where you saw me that I'm
in the d as the line front, or I'm in
a line with the linebackers, or you know, people were
so worried about me close to the line of scrimmage
where there were some games where I just dropped deep
and played a middle third player. So just coach being
able to trust in me, being able to pick that
up and being able to cook up different you know,
(13:15):
techniques and defensive week by week based off the teams
was something that he trusted me with and it was
just something that it was just a you know, a
tele you know what what we're feeling that week. So, uh,
definitely a lot of versatility within that that package.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
A couple more.
Speaker 9 (13:30):
You're the biggest safety.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
You were known for your.
Speaker 9 (13:35):
Aggression and flying around and down.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
Does that.
Speaker 9 (13:40):
Well tell me about what kind of courage that requires?
Speaker 6 (13:45):
And did you have that from an early age?
Speaker 5 (13:48):
I mean yeah, like early you know, being being a
zero star recruit.
Speaker 7 (13:51):
A lot of that is just adding to the chips
on my shoulder, you know, things like that, you know,
being undersized, being over overlooking things like that, and me
developing that just you know, kind of just form a
mentality within myself, you know, not worrying about how big
I am. You know, we all got passed on, we
all got helmets on, and I'm just worried about bringing
the ball carried on and getting a way takeaways. So
(14:12):
it was just a matter of me just being able
to when I see the ball, I'm just gonna go
attack it and disrupt it any way I can. So
it's not amount you know, how tall I am, how
big I am, but me just you know, having the
heart and desire and I think the fuel that I
have for this game and the love I have for
is what drives me to be that way.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You have that aggression.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
Being very solid.
Speaker 9 (14:37):
That is that a particular coach that you I guess
credit that credit.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
Yeah, definitely. My coach is at Wake.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
The new staff that came in in twenty twenty two,
James Adams, my safety's coach, and the defensive coordinator Brad Lambert.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
You know, they just honed in on the details. I
think that was the main thing.
Speaker 7 (14:54):
You know, everybody's athletic at the next level, everybody's you know, talented,
but it's all about you know, how different are you
from the next person in terms of your craft, your
work ethic, your technique and being a technician. And that's
why I helped me get to the NFL and be
able to you know, hopefully perform at a high level.
So it's just all about honding on the details, the
drills that we did, the repetition, even the way we
went about walkthrough. It was, you know, same thing, repetition
(15:15):
over and over again until it was a part of
our nature, our culture, and our defense. So it's something
that definitely just elevate me as a player.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
I don't think.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
Every dB likes to get as close to the line
of scrimmage as you do, obviously because a lot more
contact there. How far can you trace that back into
your career? Have you always been a guy that loves
kind of being in the middle of the fray?
Speaker 7 (15:37):
Yeah, I mean it was something because I didn't convert
to defense to a high school and I was really
a corner before I was a safety. So I think
a mix of that was just you know, the off
season when I was just trying to get bigger, being
being on the smaller size and then being able to
understand my body once I started getting bigger, and you know,
being able to keep up with the best of them.
You know, now I'm able to you know, just be
(15:58):
able to utilize my my strength, my speed, my ability
and be able to enforce that onto the offense. So
it was definitely something I had to learn how to do.
But once I once I you know, kind of made
that into my game. It helped me kind of become
that player.
Speaker 8 (16:13):
Did you have any ACL recovery discussion? Have any a
recovery discussion?
Speaker 5 (16:20):
I actually meant to talk to him.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
Was a crazy day when I got drafted, so I
didn't get to it, but uh yeah, definitely something I'm
gonna want to talk to him about because you know,
I'm pretty sure with him, I don't think that that's
gonna slow him down at all. And even with me,
it was something that, you know, it was something I accepted.
You know, this recovery's gonna suck. You know, this recovery,
you know, can make or break you, and you know
the strongest word will prevail. So it was something that
(16:43):
you know, I was blessed to come back in a
short period of time and be able to play a
full season, and you know, it's just all about you know,
you know your purpose and your why, and you know
your mentality, how you approach things, and that's just life
in general. So it was just a hump in the
road that helped me build my character and.
Speaker 8 (16:58):
My play before you felt like not.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
Thinking about it as much.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
I think I got chopped blocked, like in the third game,
and I got up and I was like, I didn't
feel anything.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
So that's when I knew. I was like, okay, I'm good.
So yeah, yeah, that's all it takes. Man, So it's cool.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Faithful, Thanks for tuning into the forty nine ers. You've
got Mail Podcasts presented by Delta Dental. Don't forget to
subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so
you can be the first to listen to our latest episodes.
Check back in with us later in the off season
for our next installment.
Welcome to the forty nine Ers You've Got Mail podcast
presented by Delta Dental. I'm your host, Lindsay Polaris.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's been a minute since we all.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Got together for this pod, so welcome back everyone. The
forty nine ers are in the thick of their offseason
workout program, and this weekend is when the twenty twenty
four draft class gets involved. The rookies touchdown at Levi
Stadium for Rookie Minnie Camp on Thursday, and later today
they'll suit up for their first ever practice with the
team to get better acquainted with some of the newest
(00:36):
members of the forty nine ers. We're dedicating this episode
to the rookies. I got to sit down with San
Francisco's first round pick, wide receiver Ricky Piersall in his
first ever visit to HQ, which was actually the Friday
of draft weekend. Listen in for his first impression of
his new team.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Faithful, our first round draft pick is in the building,
Ricky piersaal, this is your first time on this field.
Your posters are all up on this stadium. What is
the feeling of being here at your first day at HQ?
Speaker 4 (01:05):
For sure, words definitely can't describe the way I'm feeling
just walking out here for the first time and kind
of just embracing it and looking around. They had this
like little eddy with my name on it on all
the TVs, which is really crazy because when I was
pulling up for the first time, I saw it right
outside the stadium and I was like, there it is.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
There it is. And then that's kind of where it
hit a little bit.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
You'll see this as you get acquainted with Levi Stadium,
But there's history all over these walls. What excites you
about becoming part of this organization?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
You know, just putting my name into the history, that's
really what it is. You know, just understanding the tradition
and history that lies, you know, in this organization and
how deep it is, and you know, just being able
to be a part of it is it's a big
blessing for me.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So, you know, my dad knows more about.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
The traditional history, and he's he's teaching me along the
ways and he's like, you don't know what this means,
pointing out all the stuff that we walk by, and
I'm like, I'm gonna learn real quick and be a
part of it.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
So the work leading up to becoming a first round
draft pick five years of grinding at the college level.
But you said the most stressful part was waiting to
hear your name called last night?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Why was that?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Just because everything is controllable and this was the unknown.
You know, you don't really know exactly where we're gonna
end up. You have kind of like a range in
your head. I thought, I did. I'm super blessed and
excited to be a part of this program, and honestly,
I think the system fits me perfectly and I could
add to that explosive offense. But yeah, that was probably
the most nervous I was in the process, just because
it was not controllable.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
The forty nine ers were very selective about the content
the contact they made with you in that pre draft process.
You see that call from San Francisco come up? What's
going through your mind?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Be honest, my heart dropped a little bit.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
It was getting to the end of the first round
and I was gonna That's when I started to get
a little bit more nervous, you know, because I do
believe I'm a first round talent and you know, have
all those abilities in one of the top receivers in
this draft. So you know, when it got to the
later rounds, I put my phone down on my lap.
It was the last two picks and I saw San
Francisco had five minutes left to put a picking, and
my phone started vibrating.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
That's my hard job.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
I answer the phone, and you know, now one thing
led to another and I'm here.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Now.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
You didn't say a lot on that call, but one
thing that really did stand out. You said that this
organization is getting a workhorse. How do you show that
workhorse mentality day in and day out?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Yeah, that workhorse mentality is a lifestyle. So you know,
day in and day I'll just put it into work,
you know, just constantly reminding myself, you know why I
do this, And that's on the field and off the field,
to be honest.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
So whatever that means.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
You mentioned that your family has been very influential in
your college football career throughout your whole journey. Really, your
dad was also a wide receiver at Northern Arizona. How's
that football DNA shaped your career?
Speaker 4 (03:44):
No, for sure, he put a football in my hand,
probably when I was able to walk.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
So there's that little funny story.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
That's how with the skittles, and he was feeding me
the skittles every time I caught the ball. So that
just shows the detail that he put into me, you know,
and I can't thank him enough. You know, if he
wasn't part of my life, you know, I wouldn't be
here in the situation. And so he taught me basically
everything I know, and I just ran with it at
that point.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
So, I mean, Skittles is your favorite candy.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I feel like it's got to be up there. It's
got to be top five, just because the memory is saying.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
The forty nine ers have several guys with ties to Arizona,
one being QB one.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Rock Perty got to play once in high school.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
He dropped a number of points on you.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
What is the.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
What is the first step in creating that chemistry with
him now that you're playing for the same team.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
He actually texted me this morning, so you know, we're
trying to get that chemistry started right away. But obviously
getting in the filming with him, going over the playbook
is actually probably the first step understanding the plays.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
You know, he's a quarterback, so I got to see
it through his lens.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
But yeah, just you know, having a normal talks with
him and developing that personal relationship with him and getting
to know him.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
On that Ricky Piersall highlight tape, you see really detailed
route running, a forty two inch vertical soft hands.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
What aspect of your game do you take the most
pride in?
Speaker 2 (04:57):
All those things lie into that. But I think just
how competitive I am?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
You know, I think I'm I'm a natural competitor really
obviously a skilled receiver too as well. And I got
that route running ability. You know, I got the understanding
of the game too. That sticks out. And then just
the detail in my work, and you know, I think
that translates on the field too as well. You know,
I feel like I'm very disciplined and you know, get
into my spots and the quarterbacks never gonna be guessing
where I'm at. They know exactly where I'm to be
(05:21):
at each and every place.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
So you got to ask about the fun stuff. The
Twitter handle is slick season. I saw slick rick on
the internet.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
So what do you want the faithful to call you?
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Come fall? Whatever they wanted to be hod this that
kind of just stuck. That was something that stuck in Florida.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
You know, all the recruiting girl shots and then they
kind of ran with it and then it made it
a universal thing.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
So whatever they want to call me.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Is there an origin story to that. Did anything happen
to about slick Rick? Kind of? It started in high
school for sure.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
My friends called me slick Rick because the rapper, and
then it just stuck with like slick just for short
and then at that point it just carried to Florida
and they just they blew it up with this.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So you've been a Niner for less than twenty four hours.
What teammates have reached out to you, aside from brock
Perty that you mentioned earlier.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Right after I actually got drafted, I think yeah, Brenda
Yuk was the first one to contact me, so we
faced on each other. He congratulated me, and we're just
looking forward to being teammates together.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And once again, I want you to take just one
last look at the stadium here, because come September, this
is gonna be filled with one of the most loyal
fan bases in the NFL. What would you like to
tell the faithful in your first trip to forty nine
ers eah kl You.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Gotta look around real quick because you say you said
take one last look, I gotta actually take a look.
I would just say, you're getting a Google man, You're
getting one that's gonna be dedicated and that's gonna represent
you know, the organization. Organization will in the name on
the back of my jersey, so you know you're gonna
get everything out of me.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Thanks so much for your time, and have a great
rest of the day here.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Thank you, Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
As part of the Rookie Mini Camp Experience, Rookie's got
an in person introduction with the forty nine ers, beat
writers and reporters before we to our next rookie. A
word from our sponsor Niners. Protect your teeth and your
budget with dental plans from Delta Dental. Get fumble free
dental coverage today. Here's what fourth round pick safety Malik
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Speaker 6 (07:14):
So that was your life change since you received the
phone call from the forty nine ers.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
Oh yeah, it's changed a lot.
Speaker 7 (07:19):
You know, just just excited to be here, you know,
lifelong jer your mind. Just being able to fulfill that,
you know, get started to get to work with the
new team. So just blessed to be able to have
this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So far, since you've been here.
Speaker 7 (07:32):
I mean I've kind of just been doing a whole
bunch of you know, paperwork stuff. I haven't really met
anybody yet, but I've talked to some people over the phone, Like,
you know, you finally hit me up when I got
the call got the drift pick. He dm me on
this Stagram even George Kill dm me and stuff, so
that was pretty cool. So guys have reached out, you know,
coaches are very welcoming as well. So I'm excited to
meet the new guys out there.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
I think when we first talked to you on a
Zoom call, you mentioned Hufonga as somebody who any racer
that you try to model some your game after.
Speaker 8 (08:01):
It's all cool.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
Was it to hear from somebody that that you had
watched from Afar?
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Yeah, it was just awesome.
Speaker 7 (08:06):
And now just being able to be the opportunity to
be his teammate, it's gonna be awesome just being able
to be a sponge and you know learn from him.
You know, the way he just comes down, his tenacity,
his mentality, just the way he approaches the game is
something that you know, I really took a lot about
his book and try to implement my own game. So
it'd be nice to kind of get like a first
hand experience, you know, learn from him and just being
able to be accustomed to the new defense and the
(08:26):
new players on the on the team.
Speaker 8 (08:28):
It's gonna be a while before you really get to
hit somebody. But I assume being done with the forties
and the broad jumps and the verticals and all the
stuff that you train for for the you know, to
get prepared for the draft. Feel good to be behind
you and get closer to playing football again.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Oh yeah, that's why we're all here, you know, just
try to get back to the bases, get back to
why we play this game, things like that.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
So you know it's gonna start for me tomorrow.
Speaker 7 (08:49):
But at the same time, you know, just be able
to learn that playbook as fast as I can so
I can, you know, get back to playing football at
just a fast pace, you know, mentality where I'm able
to be comfortable and be able to you know, make
plays out there for the for the dean, have that
gone through.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
Kind of like what the structure of the practices will be,
the tempo or anything like that.
Speaker 7 (09:07):
Uh, not really, you know, they kind of just gave
us the you know, the mean format. You know, practice
isn't going to be that long. But you know, I'm
just kind of focused on just making every opportunity to
have out there worth it.
Speaker 9 (09:17):
So I've read it, but you're at zero star recruit
What what were people missing when you were in your
high school career or were.
Speaker 7 (09:31):
You just not developed at that for I mean, you know,
sometimes coaches just miss and you know, maybe it's just
an exposure thing as well. You know, I tried to,
you know, transfer that last year of my high school
year to kind of get more. I got a lot
of FCS offers, blessed UH to have those, but you know,
maybe it just wasn't the right time for me. And
you know, I took a good opportunity to go to
University at Richmond and then I was able to be
(09:52):
blessed to transferred to the UH Wake Forest demon Deacons
and have a really promising career there through your career there,
so you know, sometimes you know, maybe it's just not
your time, not your moment. You just gotta you know,
stay the course and just be patient and everything will
work yourself out.
Speaker 8 (10:07):
To reflect on that journey, and then.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Now be here as a nine or how does that kind.
Speaker 7 (10:12):
Of feel when you think of what you mane you're thinking? Now, Yeah,
it was all about, you know, proving myself right and
you know, not worrying about proving other people wrong. You know,
you gotta you know, understand who you are as a person.
You know your identity, your purpose, your journey. You get
caught up in the noise, you know, the social media
era that we're in, get caught up in what other
people are doing. You kind of get lost in your
(10:34):
own path. And I think the main thing for me
was just stay on course with me, worry about myself,
holding on my craft and how am I gonna be
the best mouth move stuff I can be?
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Did you ever watch Uh? Yeah, so I'm gonna have
to dig deep for that film.
Speaker 7 (10:49):
But I definitely heard good things about I'm I'm hip with,
like you know, the John Lynch, the Ronnie Lots of
the world, you know, things like that, So uh, you know,
when I was connected with him at the combine, it
was like something that you know, we hit it off
because you know, safety to safety.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
We have that kind of relationship.
Speaker 7 (11:05):
So uh, definitely gotta you know, maybe pull up on
VHS tapes or something or whatever is dust that off.
But yeah, just awesome to just be part of organization
general manager that you know, just has been a part
of the game, you know it actually understands his players,
understands the game and so on that can relate to us.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Can you tell us a little bit more about that.
Speaker 9 (11:24):
Meeting with Joe Lynch.
Speaker 7 (11:25):
Yeah, so, you know, we're just you know, getting to
know each other, you know, getting able to talk ball.
But it was just, you know, he was kind of
lighting up when I was just you know, breaking down
the you know, wake Forest play calls that they had
pulled up, you know, play by play things like that.
So you know, as a safety you kind of be
able to have to know moving pieces, who's you know,
doing what in the defense, and he was just something
(11:46):
that you know, he saw that I'm you know, I
know what I'm talking about, you know. So it was
just awesome to you know, not just be able to
be able to play football at high level, but understand
the game as well.
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Can you remind me the name of the rule of
wake Forest on the third.
Speaker 7 (11:59):
Downs that you played, Yeah, it was called the Panther.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
How many different responsibilities do you think that entailed? And
then how how many years or how long did it
take to learn all the different kind of positions with
the playbook to be able to play them effectively.
Speaker 7 (12:15):
Yeah, So the new defensive staff and wait forest came
that twenty twenty two season, and I had my ACL
surgery January twenty twenty two, So that Panther package really
didn't get installed until I came back for fall camp,
like in August around that time, and that's when they
started installing different stuff for that because you know, I was,
you know, came back ready to go for camp, and
(12:37):
you know that's when coaches like started comfortable developing new
packages for me. And with that Panther package, there was
a lot of hats that I had to wear.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
You know.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
In the beginning, it was more so like, uh, maybe
some you know, fire zone calls we can get, like
me able to pressure the quarterback, being able to use
my athleticism to kind of disrupt them.
Speaker 8 (12:54):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (12:54):
You know, we saw me spying the quarterback as well.
But there was times where you saw me that I'm
in the d as the line front, or I'm in
a line with the linebackers, or you know, people were
so worried about me close to the line of scrimmage
where there were some games where I just dropped deep
and played a middle third player. So just coach being
able to trust in me, being able to pick that
up and being able to cook up different you know,
(13:15):
techniques and defensive week by week based off the teams
was something that he trusted me with and it was
just something that it was just a you know, a
tele you know what what we're feeling that week. So, uh,
definitely a lot of versatility within that that package.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
A couple more.
Speaker 9 (13:30):
You're the biggest safety.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
You were known for your.
Speaker 9 (13:35):
Aggression and flying around and down.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
Does that.
Speaker 9 (13:40):
Well tell me about what kind of courage that requires?
Speaker 6 (13:45):
And did you have that from an early age?
Speaker 5 (13:48):
I mean yeah, like early you know, being being a
zero star recruit.
Speaker 7 (13:51):
A lot of that is just adding to the chips
on my shoulder, you know, things like that, you know,
being undersized, being over overlooking things like that, and me
developing that just you know, kind of just form a
mentality within myself, you know, not worrying about how big
I am. You know, we all got passed on, we
all got helmets on, and I'm just worried about bringing
the ball carried on and getting a way takeaways. So
(14:12):
it was just a matter of me just being able
to when I see the ball, I'm just gonna go
attack it and disrupt it any way I can. So
it's not amount you know, how tall I am, how
big I am, but me just you know, having the
heart and desire and I think the fuel that I
have for this game and the love I have for
is what drives me to be that way.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You have that aggression.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
Being very solid.
Speaker 9 (14:37):
That is that a particular coach that you I guess
credit that credit.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
Yeah, definitely. My coach is at Wake.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
The new staff that came in in twenty twenty two,
James Adams, my safety's coach, and the defensive coordinator Brad Lambert.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
You know, they just honed in on the details. I
think that was the main thing.
Speaker 7 (14:54):
You know, everybody's athletic at the next level, everybody's you know, talented,
but it's all about you know, how different are you
from the next person in terms of your craft, your
work ethic, your technique and being a technician. And that's
why I helped me get to the NFL and be
able to you know, hopefully perform at a high level.
So it's just all about honding on the details, the
drills that we did, the repetition, even the way we
went about walkthrough. It was, you know, same thing, repetition
(15:15):
over and over again until it was a part of
our nature, our culture, and our defense. So it's something
that definitely just elevate me as a player.
Speaker 8 (15:24):
I don't think.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
Every dB likes to get as close to the line
of scrimmage as you do, obviously because a lot more
contact there. How far can you trace that back into
your career? Have you always been a guy that loves
kind of being in the middle of the fray?
Speaker 7 (15:37):
Yeah, I mean it was something because I didn't convert
to defense to a high school and I was really
a corner before I was a safety. So I think
a mix of that was just you know, the off
season when I was just trying to get bigger, being
being on the smaller size and then being able to
understand my body once I started getting bigger, and you know,
being able to keep up with the best of them.
You know, now I'm able to you know, just be
(15:58):
able to utilize my my strength, my speed, my ability
and be able to enforce that onto the offense. So
it was definitely something I had to learn how to do.
But once I once I you know, kind of made
that into my game. It helped me kind of become
that player.
Speaker 8 (16:13):
Did you have any ACL recovery discussion? Have any a
recovery discussion?
Speaker 5 (16:20):
I actually meant to talk to him.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
Was a crazy day when I got drafted, so I
didn't get to it, but uh yeah, definitely something I'm
gonna want to talk to him about because you know,
I'm pretty sure with him, I don't think that that's
gonna slow him down at all. And even with me,
it was something that, you know, it was something I accepted.
You know, this recovery's gonna suck. You know, this recovery,
you know, can make or break you, and you know
the strongest word will prevail. So it was something that
(16:43):
you know, I was blessed to come back in a
short period of time and be able to play a
full season, and you know, it's just all about you know,
you know your purpose and your why, and you know
your mentality, how you approach things, and that's just life
in general. So it was just a hump in the
road that helped me build my character and.
Speaker 8 (16:58):
My play before you felt like not.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
Thinking about it as much.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
I think I got chopped blocked, like in the third game,
and I got up and I was like, I didn't
feel anything.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
So that's when I knew. I was like, okay, I'm good.
So yeah, yeah, that's all it takes. Man, So it's cool.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Faithful, Thanks for tuning into the forty nine ers. You've
got Mail Podcasts presented by Delta Dental. Don't forget to
subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so
you can be the first to listen to our latest episodes.
Check back in with us later in the off season
for our next installment.
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