Getty San Francisco 49ers RB Raheem Mostert ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns in the 49ers 37-20 win over Green Bay in the NFC Championship game.
Raheem Mostert may not have been regarded as a key weapon for the San Francisco 49ers coming into the 2019 NFL season, but the former Purdue running back established himself as one by the end of it.
Mostert recently sat down for an at-home interview with NFL Films and opened up about his monstrous 220-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship. Watch below:
.@RMos_8Ball’s playoff performance 😅
@49ers RB demanded people learn his name and made sure it’ll always be remembered 🔥
#NFLatHome
“A lot of people didn’t really know who I was at the time,” Mostert said. “Just coming in, sprinking a couple touchdowns and a couple yards here and there, but I wanted to show everyone who I was once I got the opportunity, and I was able to do that.”
Coming into the 2019 season, Mostert had never cracked 100 rushing yards in a single NFL game, nor had he scored multiple touchdowns in a single game.
But with a growing role and injury forcing now-Miami Dolphin RB Matt Breida to the sidelines, Mostert stepped up with 146 yards in Week 13’s narrow 20-17 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
For the rest of the 2019 season, Mostert never dipped below anything less than 50 rushing yards, and eventually bested his Week 13 performance with three first-half rushing TDs against the Packers to ensure a trip to the Super Bowl for San Francisco.
“That game right there really solidified who I am as a runner and who I am as a player,” Mostert said. “That day I was in my zone and I couldn’t be stopped.”
The video also features a clip of Mostert talking about his journey to San Francisco during the NFC Championship’s post-game press conference.
“It’s crazy that I’ve been on seven different teams,” Mostert said. “I did have a lot of doubters and naysayers. Now I get to actually tell them, ‘Hey look where I’m at now.’ I never gave up on my dream.”
After going undrafted during the 2015 NFL Draft, Mostert was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles but only made the practice squad despite racking up 351 total yards in the 2015 preseason.
As the 2015 regular season progressed, Mostert was cut by the Eagles and signed by the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns at various points in the year due to his ability as a kick returner.
After rolling with the Browns through the 2016 offseason, Mostert was waived and then signed by the Chicago Bears in October. After being cut by his sixth NFL team, the RB finally landed with the 49ers who have kept him on the roster since November 2016.
While Mostert’s role has not been that of a feature back, his clutch execution against Green Bay and other opponents throughout 2019 has established his importance to the 49ers as well as his value as an NFL RB.
Now, with the departure of Breida opening up more responsibility in San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, Mostert should only see more touches when he and the Niners eventually return to the gridiron for next season.
If Mostert’s progress in the 2019 season is any indicator, the Niners may end up reaping serious benefits once they give their sixth-year RB more reps.
Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, MT. Reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier and follow Heavy on 49ers on Facebook!