Niners Nation
How 49ers’ featherweight corner Jakob Robinson has made the team take notice (paywall)
“The San Francisco 49ers’ undrafted rookie cornerback made himself a bagel slathered with peanut butter and honey before trekking to Bagels Tea in Huntington Beach for a bacon, egg and cheese croissant.
“I was focused on eating food all day until I wanted to throw up, literally,” Robinson said. “I’d be gagging in my room after eating my two breakfasts.”
Gorging and gagging while training at the Sports Academy in Seal Beach helped get Robinson to the NFL: He gained 18 pounds in three months to tip the scales at 181 pounds. That’s not a misprint. Yes, he weighed 163 pounds as a senior at BYU, and his weight raised questions about his ability to play at the next level.
That was nothing new. Robinson, who is 5-foot-10, received just two Division I scholarship offers as a 140-pound senior at Orem (Utah) High School. Two years earlier, he weighed just over 100 pounds, or less than a Great Dane.“
49ers stock report: 6 risers (and a few fallers) through 3 weeks of training camp (paywall)
“This is an interesting competition. The 49ers are looking for someone who can be an emergency replacement at center or guard if there’s an injury during a game. Hennessy is a better center than guard. Zakelj is a better guard than center.
Hennessy’s stock is higher at this point because he played better in Saturday’s game, and because Shanahan needs to make sure he’s got insurance at center. After all, he went through six of them during a disappointing 2020 season, and starter Jake Brendel will turn 33 next month. Meanwhile, seventh-round rookie Connor Colby has looked good recently and might end up providing depth at guard this season.“
Meet the 49ers undrafted rookie (with a superhero nickname) pushing for a roster spot (paywall)
“The 49ers have had some injuries on the defensive line, which has opened the door for Valdez — just like it did at Montana State. He had started hitting the weight room hard at Monte Vista High near San Diego, and was a strong 235 pounds when Howe first noticed him. The plan was for Valdez to build his weight up gradually, but Valdez was forced to play because of injuries in his first year in 2021.
After that, there was no stopping him.
‘“He would eat, go work out, then go eat and then come back, and you’d see him in there rolling out his whole body, stretching, stretching with bands,” Howe said. “He didn’t just get bigger. He got faster, twitchier, more flexible.”
Montana State used a “cheetah” package, designed for four defensive ends, on passing downs … but Valdez never came off the field.“
Colton McKivitz, 49ers fans’ pet scapegoat, uses criticism to fuel his climb (paywall)
“People would “wave and be like, ‘Can I run with you?’ Sure enough, a 50-year-old guy comes running, and a couple other marathon runners (run) with us. They’d...
