49K Pod w/ former #49ers safety Adrian Colbert

foreign you're listening to the 49 carats podcast a 49ers Gold Mine production with Stephanie Sanchez [Music] what's going on everyone and welcome to another edition of the 49 carats podcast I am your host Steph and today I'm joined by a very very special guest very excited to have him on today former 49ers safety and current Chicago Bear safety Adrian Colbert Adrian how are you doing today did the holidays treat you well this year uh holidays treated me awesome I got to spend it with my son uh it's his first Christmas and it was it was amazing it was a surprise and but first of all I just want to thank you for having me on your show shout out to the faithful always got love for y'all ain't gonna ever change no matter what team what team I'm on or what Jersey on my back I love that man well well let me let me just ask you about that really quickly because I feel like there's a lot of players who like pass through like the 49ers they have some time with the 49ers and it seems like they just have like a connection with the fandom the faithful you know years later after their time with the 49ers what do you think that's about like what is it about the faithful that you know keeps you coming back um for me personally like I mean obviously I was when I was on a team like my first role was a special teams player so like I didn't I wasn't I wasn't like making big plays like noticeable plays that people could get hype about and you know all the excitement around like being like a high draft pick or I didn't have a lot of a lot of things backing me like that people could like super be super supportive super supportive of but um the faithful just like they came in full fledged like showing love on Instagram showing love on Twitter DMS all that just showing their support and like throughout my time and my growth as a special teams player and then eventually a starter like the fans just they showing love like they remain solid and I still got uh some faithful that I talked to weekly and it's crazy so just like that just like that family relationship that you like we kind of uh they kind of manifested it it just made me love the faithful yeah that's awesome well I I think also like a like a part of it you you came in in a very interesting time for you know this team and of course for fans as well um which was the 2017 season you were the final pick of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch's very first draft for the 49ers so like what was it like at that time knowing that you know you were entering a team with a complete rebuild but also knowing that you're probably in good hands because Kyle Shanahan at the time was was seen as you know one of the best head coaching candidates at off season so what was that like for you like it was it was incredible not only just because of obviously Kyle and John coming in to kind of rebuild the organization and I mean obviously people know the 49ers is one of the greatest dynasties uh in the NFL I mean along with the Patriots and a couple other teams but like the 49ers is like like that's crazy it's like oh [ __ ] the 49ers bro this is gonna be lit and I mean me being drafted in the in anyways was was kind of mind-blowing to me because I've only I only had a couple of games under my belt that I actually got to play in and I didn't really have that much film going into going into the draft so it was it was a surprise to me and it was just a super I don't know it was a dream come true to be honest yeah oh yeah I imagine I can't even imagine what that's like but um and like I kind of think like you know the first year of most regimes and like coach GM regimes are kind of shaky I think for the most part but because you're still trying to figure things out and you know there's some things you're doing for the first time and so was any of that obvious to you guys as players that like okay like this is this is Colin John's first rodeo here and you know was it obvious at times or did they just take complete control from day one no I mean with them it was more like the players like this is going to be like a player's like run team like it was all about the the culture the community and like what we wanted to build how we wanted it to look like as players and they gave us those those type they gave us that type of power within the building and it was it was never like it never felt like work in the building like it was always like we're going we're going there to have fun but we're going to play football and and try to help build a championship team that's awesome I mean I I love that because I mean we culture even even still right and how that's kind of blossomed into what it is today um you know in that 2017 season you guys finished uh six and ten right so which is not bad at all you know all things considered I think but what really felt like a turning point in that season was when the 49ers traded for Jimmy Garoppolo right so what impact did that trade have on you guys in the locker room like what was it about Jimmy that made him so easy to Rally behind I mean for me um because when he came in I want to say it was the week before we were playing the Cardinals um and he was he was he was the number two quarterback so he was throwing to the starters like I this is this is like one of my weeks where I was getting like actual first team reps on defense and and I was just watching him throw the ball and I was just like wow like this guy can really throw the ball like he threw it I I still remember wearing cover three um and he threw a deep nine ball literally on the side I can see it today like and I'm and I'm and I was generally well coming out of the post to drop break on nine balls but he had threw a nine ball on the sideline to uh Aldrich and there was no way I was getting to it because it was literally on the edge of the ticks of the sideline and he dropped it right in the bucket and I was just like wow I walked up to him after the play and I was just like no you that guy and and like it and then when he started playing you just kind of see it and you just kind of seen it it's just like him stepping up and being that QB that that you wanted in a franchise and that's where that nickname came from right it's like when you when you have a guy like you just know right away right so it seemed like Jimmy Garoppolo uh definitely was that kind of guy for for this team and I mean even still is like up to the point that he got hurt this season right but like he's he's been with the team since then and so um I think that just goes to show uh how this team feels about him obviously you know hold them in high regard um but one one player who who's been around even before the Shanahan Lynch era uh you know Jimmy Ward he's been a staple for this defense for many years and you know he's had his ups and downs uh you know in his 49er career as well uh but he's really solidified himself as you know one of those blue-collar vets a reliable leader that you can really count on and I don't know if you were aware of this AC but this season he switched from starting that safety to starting that nickel Corner um and switching positions I think is is tough for to ask any player to do and especially a vet who you know has had a lot of success at their position and you know he's also on the last year of his contract so as a player I feel like you gotta weigh all those things but do you have any thoughts on that move and just how Jimmy Ward has embraced that new challenge and he's he's been playing very well there as of late so like what can you tell us about Jimmy Ward and the type of player that he is that would allow him to make that move so seamlessly I mean if you if you follow Jimmy's career um play Corner play safety from safety he moved to Nickel uh he actually played some nickel the year that I started um and then they moved in the corner and then he moved back to safety I mean so so Jimmy is like the Ultimate Team player he's always been very selfless and hard-working motivating and just the absolute person to be around like there's not a dull time with Jimmy and if you're down he's going to try to lift you up and try to motivate you and he's just somebody you want on your team so there's there's no doubt in my mind that um the the Niners are going to give Jimmy every opportunity he can to to be a part of that team and and it's just not it doesn't surprise me that he has made that transition to Nickel Corner because I mean he's done it he's played everywhere on the defense at this point in his career and I think I think he's got a lot of life left in in his career and he's he's a very great player and a great and even better person to be honest yeah I I think so too like I as a fan like I really hope that you know he retires a Niner I I would just love that just because he he's been through it man with this team all the ups and downs like since before the rebuild since before this regime he's he's seen it all so I think he deserves to you know finish his career as a Niner and I would love that for him and US absolutely uh so while we're on the topic of Defense though you know Robert Sala and also Mike McDaniel you know they've gone on to greener pastures uh you know their head coaches now and it seems that demiko Ryan's is next in line for a head coaching opportunity and he's been coaching his butt off this season and he's he's been part of this regime since the beginning as well so he he's worked his way up the ladder he started as the defensive quality control coach um in the 2017 season and then the year later he became the inside linebackers coach which he did for a few years before being promoted to defensive coordinator last season but seeing his coaching approach firsthand what is it about D'Amico Ryan's and or just like him as a person as well that you know makes players gravitate to him and want to play hard for him I mean if you you just gotta turn on the tape if you turn on the tape and watch any Demico Ryan's film like that the the tape speaks for itself like he was a great player and like it's easy to motivate players when when you actually stepped on that field and you've been in those trenches and you've been behind those lines and you've made those plays and it's easy to listen to that like it's easy to gravitate towards it it's easy to like all right I'm gonna listen to this because he's done it and right it's just so much easier to be coached by somebody that's actually played the game and has actually made the plays and you know somebody that studies somebody that's grinded like player QC assistant and now now he's that guy like now he's the DC like he he earned it he earned his stripes and he started out earning those stripes before he even got in the coaching business right yeah I know that that's one loss I think we're really gonna be feeling as as 49er fans and maybe even the team but you know this this team is stacked with like coaches they're like a head coaching Factory at this point so who knows who who will emerge as the next Demico Ryan's or the next Robert Sala for this team you just never know but they're so deep with coaches um getting a couple questions here in the comments uh JC here says how about Gibson play this year to Sean Gibson of course who's been playing alongside teleno hufunga for this team I don't know if you've gotten the chance to watch like a lot of 49er games this season because I know you know you've you've been playing with other teams this this year as well so but if you have been able to see some 49er games what do you think about the safety group right now I think it's a really great great Sam uh great safety group I mean they they complement each other hufanga is a baller like a legitimate baller like obviously he did his stuff last year and then this year he came on came out hot and and earned his names and and put his put his name on the top of the safeties list and uh and tkip I mean who's been playing the game for a while like he's been in the league he's made his plays he's he's been been complimentary to Huff's game and I think they've been really well back there it's it's hard to it's hard to be a bad secondary when you got the best defensive line in the country let's talk about the defensive line real quick because yeah I mean you said it it is it is hard so like what is it about this defensive line that makes the job so easy for the secondary besides the obvious answer I mean when the quarterback has two seconds to throw the ball like you know you can't there's not many Rock Concepts you can run and I mean that's a that's a testament to again D'Amico John Kyle for the people that they brought in the building like Charles or many who one of the one of the pickups that they had uh last year I believe has been has been a good force and I mean obviously getting straight back and you know you got you got Eric and you got you got the best defensive player in the league one arguably one of the best players in the league in both I mean it's it's a lot and then you got the the great Fred and then you got green law and then you got Aziz you got a lot of players on that team that are like franchise players especially on that on that front seven so it just makes it a lot easier for those guys on the outside and the guys in the back and all of those guys are great as well so I mean this that team is stacked I love it I love it I love it for the franchise I love it for the faithful yeah absolutely they've been very entertaining to watch um and Nick Bosa of course looks like the defensive player of the year would you also agree oh yeah I I just said he was the MVP oh yeah I mean at this point that conversation in that conversation honestly like not only defensive player of the year but MVP as well because I mean you think about that defense without boasting I mean it it's hard yeah I don't want to think about it yes I was like no they're they're solid and all it all kind of starts with him as we know it always starts with the trenches and they have an awesome you know defensive line and you mentioned Fred Warner too and these linebackers so like at every single level like this defense just has dogs and you know they get after it so yeah it's been great to see and you know hopefully this continues through the playoffs too I can't imagine that it doesn't if someone told you that this was one of the best defenses that the NFL has ever seen would you agree like one of them yeah absolutely one of them like the best I I don't know if it's the best but it's one of them it's one of the best yeah yeah uh okay I'm I'm I'm there too you know I I don't want to like it's up there but yeah it's up there but I can't like step on all of the all of the greats that you know because it ain't it ain't a finished product yet it's not done until that last game is finished that that Championship is raised and those final stats show but like they they are definitely making it making their case for sure yeah because that Bears team they won't they want it all you know so like it's hard it's hard to argue with that right so exactly I think they gotta finish the job at this point um to be in that conversation but yeah they're definitely one of them but uh glad you agree at least with that um look I gotta ask you about Brock Purdy because you know being a seventh round pick yourself you know what it means to get that opportunity right and to just want to run with it and so what have you seen from Brock Purdy and how he's been able to step up for this team um I just see him doing his job he's not he's not trying to do anything out of the scheme not trying to do anything out of the norm that Kyle is asking for him and what the team is asking of him and that's all you need I mean like you have a well-rounded team you have a great special teams you have a great defense and you have ample uh ample weapons on offense so just get just manage the game get the ball to get the ball to your guys and make the right reads and keys yeah I mean it it's kind of when you have Kyle Shanahan like you know calling plays for you yeah it's kind not to take anything away from Brock Purdy or Jimmy or any of the quarterbacks I've played in the system but it does make the job just it's just a Teddy yeah just a little bit just a little bit but yeah you got a wizard you got a wizard on the other side of that uh that mic right right um but just the fact that you know he he was the third string quarterback coming into this season and the 49ers have also just gone from this point this is their third quarterback as I mentioned Kyle Shanahan does he deserve to be in the conversation for coach of the year I think yeah absolutely I mean I think that every year but just because of the type of Coach he is like you you don't know it until you're actually in that locker room and you're actually around that culture and you see the the work that he puts in and you see how he lifts up other guys like you don't you can't just go grab a quarterback anybody any coach just can't go grab a quarterback off the street we're not even off the street but just a seventh round quarterback and have him thriving in their system like it's just not like that it takes a really good coach and also a really good player too you can't take anything from Brock because because he's a seventh round pick I mean I know what that looks like being a seventh round pick not being given a chance and then an opportunity coming and then you stepping up to the occasion and that's what he's doing and it's awesome to see yeah absolutely and you know the guys have rallied behind him which is exactly what you want because when you're going into the playoffs now guys have to be able to trust their quarterback to be able to get this job done right so I I think it's it's great to see and Brock Purdy has really just stepped into that role better than I I'm sure a lot of people could have even imagined so we're we're really happy to to have him uh leading the team right now but what do you think is clicking for this 49ers team right now I mean they've won eight in a row everything everything man you got you got Pro Bowl you got pro bowlers and all Pros on every part of that field offense defense and special teams and I mean that's that's special like I mean it's hard to beat a team when when you're rolling like that yeah is there is there any team in like the NFC or even you know a potential Super Bowl Contender that you're like oh that would that could be really tough for the 49ers at this point Kansas City in the city yeah yeah I mean I I I could I can see I can see a potential uh rematch I can see a potential rematch like with the way that Pat's playing and those guys over there are playing like it that's what it's looking like yeah I I agree in man McKinnon's looking good for them right now so I'm like they just unlocked another like uh key of their offense that they can you know look to attack other teams with and so it's unfair it's unfair but yeah no I I'm with you I can I could definitely see another rematch and I think it would be it'd be a lot closer this time I think um so so you think they're they're poised to make a a deep playoff run at this point oh yeah all right well okay JC here has a great question I was actually about to ask you this too if you have to point out a weakness for this Niners team what would it be I cannot like fully answer that because I haven't like really studied or watched as much filmed to answer that but I I like from from an outside perspective from how much I've seen I I I don't see much I don't see many the only only weaknesses that could possibly come knock on wood is injuries that's probably the biggest one for sure and I mean 49ers have already had their fair share of injuries this season but I think uh yeah we don't even want to think about um you know more of those happening in these next few weeks or just in the playoffs because yeah that that for any team right for any playoff team that has the potential to to derail um you know your Super Bowl chances but I want to talk to you about really quickly and this this will be my last question unless like people in the comments have more questions for you um but on the topic of you know player safety because uh Tua tangavalo like he's been a huge topic this season right because of the concussions that he suffered and you know he has another concussion so it's brought the the topic forward once again I feel like it's a very important discussion to have and you know for players to kind of raise that alarm and say you know the NFL needs to do a little bit more about this not you know not that I want to get you in trouble or anything I don't know what you could exactly say about that but you know um do you have any thoughts on like the the whole like to a situation and just like players because I I know as players like a lot of players just want to play like yeah the moment you're a competitive Spirit like you just you want to go out there no matter what and so I think that's the tough part so what do you think about uh the tool situation um I haven't really been up to date on the current situation but like in the past like me personally because last year I had two concussions and I had like a little bit of residual like headaches for about six weeks after I'd gotten cleared and it was it was scary and like yeah you want to play but like at the same time you you have to be honest completely honest with yourself like like excuse my language [ __ ] [ __ ] the football [ __ ] [ __ ] the fans at this point like because at right now like this is your life your life is your life is on the line you only get one brain like you can't you can't recover your brain like you can recover a hamstring strain or a broken leg or something like that like once your brain is gone it's gone like and people have died from concussions and like returning too fast so I mean like in um like with the stuff that he had suffered earlier like yeah no like that that's scary like I like as a if I was a if I was a close friend or if I was a um whatever coach trainer like I I wouldn't advise anybody to play like after something like that like at least for the rest of the year like but that's just me like I I can't I can't tell people what to do I can only um give Insight on the things that I've experienced in in that space and that's what I experienced like I set out six weeks like after I got released by the Jets because I had headaches I went on five different visits and I told every team like hey I'm still experiencing headaches throughout the week um until I wasn't and then that was like the last four weeks of the season when I signed with Cleveland um but like I take that very seriously because I mean we have one life to live this is a game and I I'd rather not be selfish in the the game that I love over the life that I I'll still have to live after I'm done playing because I mean regardless whether you play 10 years 20 years you're still 40 or in your 30s when you're done playing that means you have a lot of Life to Live that means you have kids in a family that are going to be there and being around you and having to take care of you if you don't take care of yourself right now yeah absolutely yeah no I'm I'm glad you said that and thank you so much for for answering that question um from like your perspective um yeah because it is a big topic and you know the more we talk about I think you know we bring awareness to like fans as well that you know this is serious it is scary and yeah I'm always for players doing um whatever is best for them you know because at the end of the day you love football but it is temporary um but speaking of of football you know and and it being temporary you know do you have any thoughts on you know what you might do after the NFL have you thought about that at all um I've been I've been tapped in I mean I'm I'm an investor I'm part owner of exat uh Esports org um I just created a little golf show that I'm really about to get serious into shooting content this next uh year on the links tap in if you ain't already tapped in gonna go crazy this year all your favorite players gonna be on the show and fans will have an opportunity to join us on the links that's awesome man yeah because I saw you got the gamer chair going I was like I was like I know I know you'd be gaming on that chair I got any favorite games at the moment I haven't I really haven't been playing I stopped playing when I moved so I moved from Miami in July so it's been it's been it's been like six months since I really got actually active and played um I really just been focusing on Ball and I just had my son for five months ago so I mean that's been the main focus is ball and my son with my son coming first that's awesome well like yeah congrats on on your little man and and you know spending that first Christmas with him I'm sure that was awesome uh and thank you so much for for coming on the show today this has been awesome you're welcome here literally anytime like seriously and uh for all you guys watching make sure you like this video if you have not yet hit the Subscribe button if you have not yet I appreciate all the love and uh thank you once again Adrian for for coming on the show today and uh have a good rest of your like NFL season and uh best of luck in your career man thank you I appreciate you shout out to 49 carrots and shout out to Steph for having me on I appreciate you Faithful and y'all have a good one have a have a happy New Year thanks guys have a good rest of your evening peace [Music]