Getty The 49ers celebrate an Elijah Mitchell touchdown on January 8, 2023 in Santa Clara.
The legends of past San Francisco 49ers lore have spoken: They hope to see a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy christening their trophy room after the playoffs.
Already, NFC champion safety from the 2012 Super Bowl team Donte Whitner has predicted a 49ers versus Buccaneers NFC title game match come January 29. Two more franchise legends, including a past teammate of “Hitner,” have joined in with sending their messages to the 2022 team.
Hall of Fame candidate Patrick Willis is one who sent his motivation to the only team he played for during his illustrious NFL career — including sharing these four words: “Go win it all.”
“Congrats 49ers on being the undisputed NFC-Champs. Now! Go win it all. One game at a time!” Willis shared to the team via his Twitter account before 9 p.m. Eastern on Monday, January 9.
Meanwhile, one of the last Super Bowl winners from the 49ers Jesse Sapolu let it be known it’s “go time” while also using the popular motivation tactic among the 49ers Faithful “bang bang.”
“Great regular season 49ers. Playoffs and Seahawks is up. It’s Go Time. Go 49ers. Bang Bang,” the four-time champion and member of the 49ers’ last Super Bowl winning team of 1994 Sapolu said per social media.
Kyle Shanahan Sounds Off on Anniversary of Iconic 49ers Play
Meanwhile Tuesday, January 10 marked a special anniversary for the 49ers Faithful: The iconic play that helped spark their Super Bowl runs in the 1980s…”The Catch.”
On this day in 1982, Dwight Clark made “The Catch” to send the 49ers to their first-ever Super Bowl 🙌
The revered play took place inside Candlestick Park with the NFC title on the line against the Dallas Cowboys. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if he recalled that play occurring 41 years ago.
“I was too young to remember that,” Shanahan admitted to the Bay Area media on Tuesday.
However, he shared how his mom used to pester him about that play because one day he became a Bay Area resident when his father, two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Shanahan, accepted a coaching job with the 49ers in 1992. But he also clapped back at his parents.
“I remember my mom giving me so much crap that I don’t even remember that when we moved here in the sixth grade. I was like ‘Mom, I was 2 years and one month and it’s your guys’ fault for not showing me,” Shanahan said.
On the 41st anniversary of The Catch, Shanahan recounts the best NFL plays he remembers from his childhood
‘Positive Development’ Occurs for 49ers on Eve of Playoff Game
Outside of the motivational messages from two revered past 49er standouts, the 49ers received a “positive development” as The Athletic’s David Lombardi called it.
Previous injured 49er players Dre Greenlaw, Aaron Banks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles were all back at practice Tuesday as the Niners begin preparation for their Saturday afternoon contest versus the Seahawks to open the playoffs.
“Very positive playoff development for SF,” Lombardi shared.
Greenlaw was dealing with a back injury. The outside linebacker put together career-best marks in tackles and in pass deflections this past regular season. Banks had an MCL sprain but delivered a strong sophomore NFL season playing next to All-Pro Trent Williams. Flannigan-Fowles has a neck injury from the season finale win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Meanwhile, Lombardi confirmed that rookie Kalia Davis will not be activated for the playoffs as the 49ers plan to use an NFL version of a “redshirt” year. Davis, a sixth round defensive tackle out of Central Florida, had been rehabbing his knee from a torn ACL in 2021. Davis, though, was cleared to practice and had been impressing the 49ers with his production.
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‘Go Win it All,’ 49ers Legends Send Stirring Messages to 2022 Team