49ers rookie RB Guerendo turning heads early with intangible traits originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Rookie running back Issac Guerendo answered the call both literally and figuratively when the 49ers rang throughout the draft process.
The speedy ball carrier was in constant contact with running backs coach Bobby Turner, who believes that a prospect’s abilities on the field are as important as their behavior off of it. But most of all, Guerendo has one very important trait that the venerable coach knew the team needed.
“We were looking for speed,” Turner told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He has the speed and he’s bigger. He’s 221-222 pounds. We needed another fast runner in our offense. During my interview process leading up to this, the very first thing I saw on tape was the ability to break the long runs and take it to the house, hit the home run.”
Guerendo spent four seasons at the University of Wisconsin before transferring to the University of Louisville where he flourished, registering 132 rushing attempts for 810 yards, and 11 touchdowns along with 22 catches for 234 yards for the Cardinals last season.
Prior to the draft, Guerendo showed his speed to the league at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a blistering 4.33 40-yard dash — the fastest of all running backs in attendance.
“During my interview process leading up to this,” Turner said. “The very first thing I saw on tape was the ability to break the long runs and take it to the house, hit the home run. I saw that on tape.
“I didn’t know at the time it was the fastest but knew he could run and I knew he had size. And then when I was talking to him, he is very detailed. He understood what I was asking and had the ability to explain it.”
This season will be Turner’s 52nd year as a coach and while several things have changed since he began his coaching journey, some elements remain the same. One of those is his requirement that all of his backs know the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-rookie-rb-guerendo-turning-151800924.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-05-28 15:18:00
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