SANTA CLARA — The 49ers hosted a bevvy of local college prospects Wednesday at Levi’s Stadium for their annual local pro day. Drills were relatively light. The workout lasted less than an hour.
Dispersed amongst media members and football coaches, there was a familiar face dressed in business attire, tucked away in the corner.
Steve Young.
San Francisco’s Hall of Fame quarterback texted John Lynch on Wednesday to see if he could come watch the festivities. He’s friends with Stanford safety Dallas Lloyd, but Young also wanted to touch base with Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“I got a text today in the middle of draft meetings,” Lynch said. “‘Hey, John this is Steve Young. Do you think it would be possible if I might be able to come out to the pro day?’ I said, ‘Steve, this is your world, whatever you want. And I’ve told you that. You are always welcome.’ It’s a treat to see him as always. He’s a good friend. He’s a big part of the fabric of this organization. Anytime we have him out here, I think we’re better for it. I always feel like I get smarter when I talk to Steve. He’s a bright guy and he’s got a unique perspective on things.”
When Lynch and Shanahan were hired back in January, Young had glowing remarks to make about the hire on KNBR 680.
“To me, John is a guy it feels like we’re getting back to that rootedness — and I’m happy about that,” Young said. “And Kyle, again, one generation away from Mike who definitely understands that and gets that rootedness as well. And so that’s why the fans probably don’t even realize this, but that’s why it’s been so hard. Especially for the people that were around in that time period because they talk about a magical time. But it wasn’t necessarily about the guys or the coaches. It was about what we were doing and how unique and enlightened it was. So it drew people in. The fans were involved. We were great communicators. Carmen Policy. Everyone was a great communicator. So all of that works together.”
Another guest out at practice on Wednesday? CEO Jed York, who by my recollection, did not step foot on the practice field last year with Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke. York and Young exchanged pleasantries. Former players such as Derrick Deese and a portion of the fan base were campaigning for Young to gain a role in the front office — an idea neither he nor York seemed open to.
“We’re friends. And we are friendly. And we traded texts for Christmas and New Years,” Young said. “And I hope the best. But no. I think people also need to recognize that when the split happened, when Eddie (DeBartolo) lost the team, and Denise (York) got the team, there was a tremendous acrimony between the parties. And, so the past, that 49er past is gingerly embraced, or, and so — none of us, they’re not looking to bring the past back. They are looking to go win Super Bowls into the future. And so I think we’ll always be friends, and friendly. And I think they do a great job with the alumni, great job in what they do with philanthropy in the Bay Area. So that’s all positive things. There’s no negatives. But they are certainly not looking to recreate the 49ers of the 80s and 90s. It’s just not a part of the future.”
During his opening press conference, Lynch said the 49ers will have more of an open door policy with alumni.
“Those guys created the standard that we’re striving for,” Lynch said. “I’ve reached out to a lot of these guys and let them know that not only are they welcome, we really want these guys around because that’s what we’re aspiring to be. I’ve also told them we can’t ride on their coattails. We understand that we have to earn their trust as well. We understand that we have to put in the work.”
