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49ers brotherhood and community shine in Dwight Clark Legacy Series originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN JOSE — You would be hard-pressed to find many organizations in all of professional sports with a richer history and stronger community than the 49ers.
It was on full display once again at the annual Dwight Clark Legacy Series event Thursday night at the California Theater in San Jose.
Players past and present showed up to support a great cause and raise money for The Golden Heart Fund, including Pro Football Hall of Fame alumni and current 49ers superstars.
Here are three observations from the fourth annual event:
The inseparable duo of LB
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw received the Dwight Clark Award, which “honors the current 49ers player who best exemplifies Dwight’s spirit of teamwork and camaraderie.”
Before Greenlaw took the stage, he was introduced by fellow 49ers linebacker and close friend Fred Warner. The duo has become one of the best, if not the best, linebacker duo in the NFL, in part due to their inseparable bond on and off the field.
Warner and Greenlaw are closest friends and train together every offseason. However, this summer will be different. The green law is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon forks The 2024 NFL season is expected to begin. on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
However, there is no doubt that Greenlaw will not attack his rehabilitation with the same tenacity and vigor that Warner has become accustomed to.
“On the field, he’s a little crazy… That’s what makes him so great, there’s something weird about him,” Warner said of Greenlaw to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt.
Generations of QBs with different paths
The final hour of the event featured a panel of four 49ers quarterbacks, spanning four different generations, each with their unique place in franchise history.
From left, Brock Purdy, Alex Smith, Jeff Garcia and Steve Young sat on stage with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. The final pick of the 2022 NFL draft sat next to the first pick of the 2005 draft, who sat next to an undrafted Canadian Football League player, who sat next to the first overall pick of the supplemental draft of 1984.
Purdy and Smith, seated next to each other, offered an especially interesting juxtaposition. One with absolutely zero expectations heading into his rookie season, while the other undoubtedly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders from the start.
Each quarterback shared interesting stories from their respective careers, highlighting how difficult it is to play in the NFL and how much hard work, dedication and determination it takes to overcome all obstacles, whether as a first-round pick, seventh-round pick or a player not drafted at all.
49ers Alumni Always Stand Out
It’s impossible to attend a 49ers event without at least a handful of prominent players (past or present) representing the organization.
Whether it’s the Dwight Clark Legacy Series and State of the Franchise events, any of the other charity gatherings, or maybe just a day of game or practice at Levi’s Stadium, 49ers alumni like Young, Garcia, Smith, Jerry Rice, Patrick Willis, Frank Gore, Joe Staley, Bryant Young, Terrell Ownes, Ronnie Lott, Brent Jones and Jesse Sapolu, just to name a few, are frequently seen around the team in some capacity.
That is not only a testament to the culture the 49ers organization has created over decades of excellence, but also to the players’ unwavering support for the team and the community.