Navigating the NFL Sophomore Slump: Insights & Strategies

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00:00Hi Cam, let's talk a little bit about Kyle Shannon and he talks about how the sophomore

00:08slump can hit players.

00:10Here's the Niners head coach.

00:11You've emphasized a number of times the leap that players can make from rookie to second

00:17year.

00:18When they're going through their exit interviews, do you give a kind of a special emphasis to

00:23the outgoing rookies and giving that kind of message to them?

00:28We do.

00:29There's lots, I mean you want them to make that huge leap.

00:32Also the second year sometimes is people's worst years too because a lot of people, they

00:37finish college, they're trying so hard to make it in the league, they don't think about

00:40much, they're just going as hard as they can and then that first season ends and they kind

00:44of sit back and relax and they're like, alright I get it now.

00:46And they don't realize it but they don't go through their off season the same way they

00:49did getting prepared for the NFL.

00:51And then it's halfway through training camp and they realize, oh man I haven't made it

00:54yet, it's totally different.

00:55That's why a lot of guys you see a sophomore slump too.

00:58But it usually goes one way or the other.

01:00So you stress that as much as you can as a head coach, a position coach and I think the

01:05strongest thing too is veteran players who've been through it and seen it too.

01:08Kim, I think one of the biggest things is how different the NFL is from college football.

01:16It's just a reality check.

01:17It's like a slap in the face.

01:19You think you're great until you get up to the next level and find out how hungry guys

01:23are to get paid for a living that have to take care of families.

01:28Great call and that's the thing, like everyone's saying, hey Caleb Williams, like I watched

01:31him play some tough games in the Pac-12, nothing is guaranteed.

01:35And as for Brock Purdy, you know 7th round draft pick, Mr. Irrelevant, he's been fantastic

01:40but he's going to need protection.

01:42A lot of guys, they have more tape on them now.

01:44It's not that easy.

01:45It's one of those things, man.

01:46It's hard to repeat back-to-back seasons like that.

01:49I know the 49ers are one of the more popular teams but I'm still pissed off at Shanann

01:54for the Super Bowl, to be honest with you, the way he handled it.

01:58Really angered me.