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00:00All right, continuing here on this Tuesday on 95.7 The Game,
00:03and this is the moment we've been waiting for here on Willard & Dibs.
00:06Joining us on the River Island's guest line,
00:08none other than the great Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers.
00:12Fred, what's going on today, ma'am?
00:15Man, just feeling blessed.
00:17You know, 2-0 on the road to start the year.
00:19It don't get much better than that.
00:21So I'm excited, man.
00:23It's a good feeling.
00:24Well, it's hitting you some kind of way for sure, man.
00:26I'm sure you're aware of the video that made the rounds.
00:30Of you walking off the field at New Orleans,
00:32and you seem to be, I don't know if overcome is the right word,
00:35but there were a lot of emotions.
00:37Can you take the fans into what was going on there in your mind?
00:42Yeah, no, I think overcome is exactly right, dude.
00:45I mean, it was just an overflow of just gratitude in that moment.
00:50You know, I pray for moments like Sunday where, you know,
00:54I could be put in positions to help my team win games.
00:57And I think in that moment, just seeing all those fans that just overtook the same stadium,
01:05man, and they're all screaming for me, and it was truly just a moment of gratitude.
01:10It was overwhelming.
01:11But I can't speak enough to how amazing the faithful have been on the road.
01:16I can't wait to be back home this week for our first home game.
01:19I know they're going to show up and be big for us at home.
01:21But 71 snaps, you played all of them on defense,
01:24and the one that stands out was the play on Alvin Kamara where he catches it on his helmet
01:30and you come in and do what you do, which is punch out the football.
01:33How are you able to always get to the ball with that right cross?
01:38It's something about that right hand, man.
01:40My left hand isn't as precise or as strong as that right.
01:43But, you know, it's something that I truly do work it day in and day out, all camp, all year long, really.
01:51You know, I made it a point of emphasis this past week of practice, man,
01:54of just really having it on my mind because if you don't, you just go out there, you make tackles, right,
02:00and you don't really think about it.
02:02But to have it present in your mind, that's the key.
02:05And so in that moment, I really was running over there and saw, I mean, Alvin Kamara,
02:09he's an amazing player, this dude has the ball kind of locked onto his helmet.
02:12I had my hand outstretched waiting for the ball to kind of fall off his helmet into my hands.
02:17And then at the very last moment, being able to ball my fist up and punch it out,
02:21it was a big moment that we needed to kind of swing the game.
02:25Fred, you know what's interesting, too, and I think the greats are often never satisfied,
02:29so maybe that applies here, but a lot of fans are really impressed
02:34and excited by what they see defensively.
02:36After the game, you spoke a lot about all the things that still need to be
02:42a whole lot better.
02:43How would you sort of put into words your satisfaction level so far?
02:48Yeah, I mean, I think you always got to look at where you can be better, right?
02:53I think that was why, especially in that moment right after the game,
02:56I'm always thinking about, man, like, we gave up three touchdowns in the red zone,
03:00and we gave up a ton of penalties on third time, I wouldn't say,
03:04but key penalties on third down that extended these long drives, right,
03:08that allowed them to continue to run the football and get down there,
03:11and then we're not holding them to three.
03:13So, you know, those are the glaring things in my mind.
03:16Now, if we correct those things, we can be such a dominant defense,
03:20but the great news is that, man, we're playing at a really high level
03:24with a lot of new pieces, right?
03:25Everybody's talked about all offseason, all training camp, all preseason,
03:30about all these young guys that we have playing,
03:32different guys that we may have signed off a free agency,
03:35and guys are playing at a high level, you know, in terms of these young guys.
03:39Man, I'm really excited about a lot of these guys and the energy,
03:42the swag that we're playing with.
03:44The standard is always going to be the standard regardless of your age
03:47or who you are.
03:49So, you know, I think as long as we continue to strive to be at our best
03:53and get better every single week, then the sky's the limit for us.
03:57I don't think that you can put a limit on us.
04:00Yeah, and nobody wants to put a limit on what you're doing defensively,
04:03and I'm thinking about a couple of young guys.
04:05Mikel Williams in his second game was terrific,
04:07and your linebacker, mate, not a rookie, but kind of new to starting.
04:11What's it like playing alongside D Winters and the energy he brings?
04:15Oh, dude, it's amazing.
04:16I love D Winters.
04:18I'm just so happy for him and his progression with our team.
04:23And, you know, I tell the story of how he came in as a rookie,
04:26and I was like, I'm not too sure about old D Winters.
04:29I don't know.
04:30But, you know, there's guys that truly, you know, they need reps, man.
04:34And, you know, some guys, they develop differently than others.
04:38And for D, he just needed those reps, man.
04:40You know, he's been able to stay healthy, be on the field to get those.
04:43And it's a complete credit to him, man, the way that he's worked,
04:47the time that he's put in and committed himself to wanting to be his best.
04:51And it's showing up now on Sundays in a big way.
04:55You know, I know when that ball is coming to the flat,
04:57I'm booking it over there just in case a guy,
05:00I never want a guy to be alone on an island,
05:02but he's proven to me that he truly can be one-on-one with anybody out in space.
05:08And so it's really fun being out there just playing with a lot of energy
05:12and having fun.
05:14Fred Warner with us on Willard and Dibs, 95.7 The Game.
05:17Fred, we know that Dre is your boy,
05:19but I would like to know how you compare the two players.
05:23How would you compare Dre and D?
05:26I mean, yeah, when you look at the, I guess,
05:29the first thing that pops up is the speed that they play with.
05:33They both have similar builds,
05:34but they both are extremely explosive and fast athletes on the field
05:41and cerebral football players.
05:43You know, they're both their own individuals.
05:45I would never want to compare D to anybody.
05:47I think D is his own unique person and player,
05:51but I think when you look at just their builds, right,
05:55how explosive they are, the speed,
05:57I think that's what you see in both players.
05:59Not looking for you to compare this year's D.C. to last year's,
06:03but Robert Sala comes back to the team.
06:05What has changed on the field that fans can really look at that has made this
06:09defense maybe more aggressive and certainly looks to be a little bit better?
06:14Yeah, I mean, Sala's just been around the block, man.
06:17He's been there.
06:18He's done it at a high level for a long time.
06:20You know, he obviously had a stint in New York being the head coach,
06:23but, I mean, he knows football through and through,
06:26not just defense but offense,
06:27and I think that helps with how he prepares for these different offenses
06:32week in and week out.
06:33And, I mean, he puts us in just the perfect position to go out there
06:36and play fast, man, eliminating the all-gray area.
06:40He knows the exact calls to put us in in certain situations within the game,
06:45so there's never a moment where, you know,
06:48I'm wondering what we should be.
06:51He just knows.
06:52It's almost like he's a, I don't even know, a fortune teller, man.
06:57This dude knows everything, I feel like.
06:58So it gives such confidence for a player to just go out there and play free, man.
07:02I love having him back.
07:04Fred, you know it's interesting to also kind of look back at your earlier
07:08Niner days to now.
07:10It's weird to say this about someone who's only 28 years old,
07:14but you've moved into this elder statesman role.
07:17And I don't just mean this about the 49ers.
07:19I'll be straight with you.
07:19This question is inspired by my 16-year-old daughter, Ella,
07:23who is the largest Fred Warner superfan that lives on planet Earth.
07:28She's freaking out that we're speaking today.
07:31Here's what I want to know.
07:32Like, your recognizability, your podcast with your wife,
07:37your standing in the NFL, that has all changed a lot in the last three,
07:41four, five years.
07:42So how have you handled that?
07:45How has that changed your life?
07:46I mean, yeah, man, I think it's something that comes with it when, you know,
07:53when you have success on the field and other things,
07:56other opportunities present themselves off the field.
07:58But, you know, don't get it twisted.
08:01I think the reason why I've been able to have sustained success in this league
08:07is because of just remaining humble and not ever being comfortable, I guess,
08:13you know, or content with what I've done, I always feel like there's another level.
08:17And, you know, early on, all I wanted was my respect.
08:21And so then I, once I got that, it changed into, okay, like, what now?
08:25You know, if that were just my sole motivation,
08:28then I would have stopped playing hard a long time ago.
08:30But there's just something, there's just this fire burning within me, man,
08:34that really makes me go hard day in and day out.
08:38And God's really blessed me with this ability to play this game.
08:41And it's up to me now to really just squeeze every drop in the bucket that I can.
08:47And I'm trying to every single day.
08:49We see the fire you play with,
08:51and I'm wondering if that fire was even hotter this past offseason
08:54after last year's 6-11 disappointment.
08:56Yeah, I mean, I think there's so many things that I've had, not just me,
09:05but, like, our team has had to go through throughout the years.
09:07You talk about going to Super Bowls, losing Super Bowls,
09:10losing NFC Championship games.
09:11Like, I mean, yeah, you can find these different motivations,
09:14especially in a season where you go 6-11.
09:17I mean, that's as bad a year as I've been a part of since probably my rookie year
09:22or 2020.
09:23But, you know, at the end of the day, man, it's a whole new year.
09:27I can't get in the huddle and tell these guys, hey,
09:30let's right or wrong from last year because at the end of the day, guess what?
09:34Half the team wasn't even here last year that dealt with that, right?
09:37So they're all going to be looking at me like, man,
09:39I don't know what you're talking about, Fred.
09:41We have no idea how that was.
09:43So it's about, you know, just being the best version of yourself
09:47or your teammates so that when moments come where you need to be relied on
09:52and that you're there to be the guy that your teammates can rely on
09:56to help win football games because at the end of the day,
09:58it's all about just winning.
09:59That's it.
10:00Fred, how is the vibe in the locker room so far,
10:03particularly if you put it in the framework of the adversity that you guys
10:06have faced, a backup quarterback already playing a game?
10:11How does that kind of adjust the way guys are reacting after a game?
10:15Yeah, I mean, I think the vibes have been amazing, really.
10:20I love our group.
10:20I love the fact that we do have a lot of, you know, newer players, young guys.
10:25It's a good mix between the young players and the veterans, you know,
10:30and it is always the next man up mentality in this league.
10:34Unfortunately, we've had to deal with that, you know,
10:36a number of seasons where we've had injuries at, you know,
10:39at key positions.
10:40And so it's not like we're unfamiliar with it,
10:42but it doesn't mean that it's not hard to win football games when you don't
10:47have your guys out there.
10:49But it just speaks to our character of our team.
10:53It speaks to the standard that is upheld.
10:56And regardless of who's in there, man, the expectation is the same, you know,
10:59of playing winning football and doing the things necessary to win.
11:04You talked about the vibes.
11:05And one thing I noticed in the game on Sunday is the boombox guy,
11:10Diamador Lenore, now there with Trent Williams.
11:12Kind of fun to see him side-by-side, Trent 6'6", 3'80".
11:15And, you know, Demo, a little smaller but equally ferocious.
11:19What's he been like stepping up into an increased role on this team?
11:24Yeah, Demo, man, I'm super happy for him and his ascension in this league as a
11:28player and then also as a leader for our team, you know, being voted captain,
11:32that's a player-voted deal, right?
11:35So it speaks to how his teammates feel about him.
11:38And he's just put the work in over the years to really become one of the best
11:42players and corners in his league.
11:45And the energy that he brings, the tenacity that he brings, that's who we are.
11:51That's who the 49ers are.
11:52And so love having Demo out there with me.
11:55While we're talking about other individuals, I mean, again,
11:58you've had one game with each QB.
12:00How is their sort of locker room leadership different?
12:05Or do you kind of take over that role from them?
12:09No, I wouldn't say, you know, anybody needs to take anything over.
12:13You know, I'm the same person regardless of the situation.
12:17You know, I think Mac's done a great job of coming in and just doing what was
12:22asked of him last week.
12:25You know, Purdy is the man.
12:27You know, I love Purdy with everything in my soul because this guy, I believe,
12:32could be the best in the game.
12:33He's shown that already in this league in, what, three years of playing after being
12:38drafted last in the draft.
12:39But, you know, the things that he was doing in training camp were unreal.
12:43So I'm excited for when he does get back.
12:45But I can't say enough about Mac and his resilience and his preparedness to come in
12:50and help us win a game last week.
12:52And we'll see what happens this week and if Purdy is healthy enough to go.
12:57Fred Warner is with us.
12:58And, Fred, when we get a big fancy guest like yourself, we love to do something
13:01on the way out the door called the Big Finish and get to know maybe a little
13:04something about you that we don't already know.
13:06You ready to ride?
13:08Let's ride.
13:09Okay, Fred, here's the deal.
13:11There's two categories.
13:12You pick one.
13:13Do you want to do BYU or Fred's firsts?
13:18Oh, wow.
13:20We got BYU and Fred's firsts.
13:22I guess let's go Fred's first.
13:23I don't know.
13:24That sounds interesting.
13:24Okay, Fred's firsts.
13:26Question number one.
13:27Do you remember your first touchdown as a youth football player?
13:32Oh, as a youth football player, this is including Pop Warner?
13:37Yeah.
13:37As far back as you want to go.
13:39Oh, my gosh.
13:41Yeah, see, that's the thing.
13:42Unless you guys knew something that I didn't know.
13:44Pop Warner, I can't remember that far back.
13:46But I think high school first touchdown may have been like junior year,
13:53like on a pick six or something.
13:54And then, yeah, I think that may have been the first that I can remember.
13:59I don't even know if I scored.
14:01So did you not play on the offensive side in high school?
14:07I did.
14:07I played tight end.
14:08And I actually started my high school career started playing tight end,
14:13and I didn't play defense until my sophomore year on JV.
14:16And then going forward, I played both tight end and defense.
14:20Yeah, maybe you can get an invite to Kittle's tight end U.
14:24You certainly have the hair for it to match up with George and the fellas.
14:28Yeah.
14:29Question number two, Fred.
14:30Where did you and your wife, Sydney, go on your first date?
14:33And I hope you remember this one.
14:35Oh, boy, I sure do, man.
14:37It was an iconic first date.
14:40You know, I took her five-star In-N-Out, In-N-Out Burger.
14:43Yeah.
14:45Yes.
14:45Fine dining, fine dining, man.
14:48And I remember I was starving.
14:50I probably ordered way too much food.
14:51I think she only ordered like a Coke and then some fries.
14:53So probably made a fool of myself there.
14:55But, hey, it was a great time.
14:57Fred, there's something about that place.
14:59My wife and I ended up there on our wedding night as well.
15:02There's something about it.
15:03Yeah, something about it.
15:05Something about it.
15:06Yeah, that's great.
15:07All right, last one, Fred.
15:08When you got the bag in the NFL, what was your first big purchase?
15:16Oh, first big purchase?
15:18I'd probably say when I bought my home, our home that we bought here in the Bay.
15:24You know, I'm a kid from San Diego,
15:26and being drafted to the Niners was a huge blessing for me to stay on the West Coast
15:30and be close to the family and everything.
15:32And, you know, the Bay is my home now, right?
15:35I think I stay here year-round.
15:37I train here.
15:39The Bay has done everything for me.
15:40So, yeah, I buy my first home.
15:41I mean, do you want to do like an audio version of MTV Cribs
15:45and tell us a little bit about the place?
15:47Like, you know, 10 bedrooms, 12?
15:49What do you got?
15:50People are – too many people already know where I live,
15:53so I can't think too much.
15:55I'll be here.
15:56Well, yeah, we'll see.
15:58Maybe later.
15:58Maybe later.
15:59Yeah, and with these home prices around here,
16:01you're probably going to have to play another 10 or 11 years just to make ends meet, right?
16:05That's right, man.
16:06I mean, it's hard out here in these streets, man.
16:08Hard.
16:09All right, Fred.
16:10Home opener this weekend, man.
16:11What's the message to the fans on their way to Levi's here in a handful of days?
16:15Man, I just want the faithful to show up and show out big time for us.
16:21I mean, this is a huge divisional opponent.
16:242-0 versus 2-0, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals.
16:29We can't do it without the faithful, man.
16:31Just show up and show out.
16:32Be loud.
16:33Fred, thank you so much, man.
16:34Great to have you on the show.
16:36Appreciate you guys.
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