As assistant coach for 49ers, Wes Welker seeks Super Bowl win that eluded him with Patriots and Broncos
MIAMI — The first-year wide receivers coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Wes Welker, really, really liked the college tape of rookie Deebo Samuel.
Samuel was fast and strong and physical and played fast. But in their first training camp together, Samuel seemed on the edge of becoming, well, pudgy.
And Welker, the former receiver for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos wasn’t letting it happen on his watch.
“I was nervous about the weight,” Welker recalled this week. “Him blowing up. So I made it a point, like, you’re going to run with me every single day. We’re going to get up at 6 a.m. and run two miles. And then after practice, we’re going to run some sprints. And we’re going to keep that weight off. And if we don’t, we’re just going to keep on doing this. Credit to him. He showed up. He bought in.”
Samuel, a second-rounder from South Carolina, posted 802 receiving yards this season, helping Welker and the 49ers reach Super Bowl LIV. Welker, who reached five Pro Bowls and three Super Bowls and posted five 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL, has credibility with his players because he’s done it — and he’s willing to be alongside them for things like sprints.
“Deebo Samuel, he’s playing like a Pro Bowl-caliber player, not a rookie, and a lot of that’s attributable to Wes,” said veteran San Francisco receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who actually played with Welker in Denver.
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Welker answered a lot of questions this week about, very surprisingly, not having a Super Bowl ring (he lost twice with New England and once with Denver, most due to bad timing). Here’s his chance to win one as a coach.
