Why 49ers Star Fred Warner Is ‘Forever Indebted’ To DeMeco Ryans
Head coach of the  when Warner arrived in San Francisco, Ryans sensed a star in the making and put forth a lot of effort to help him fulfill his potential.
Ryans stated last season, “It takes pouring everything you have into a young man like a Fred Warner.” Nobody believed the third-round pick could play middle linebacker. However, I perceived something in him—a leader. I spotted a football-loving guy. And I noticed a person who genuinely just let me coach him. And I’m proud to declare that he’s the best linebacker in the NFL right now.
Houston Texans DeMeco Ryans made a splash in the NFL with one of the best debut seasons ever. In 2022, the team had a 3-13-1 record; in 2023, they were 10-7 and the AFC South champions.
Ryans is now vying with Dan Campbell, Ky John Harbaugh,le Shanahan, and Kevin Stefanski for the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award.
One player who isn’t shocked by Ryans’ rapid rise is his former linebacker Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers, who gushed over his old coach during Super Bowl LVIII interviews on Monday in Las Vegas.With Ryans as his defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for five seasons, Warner racked up 698 tackles (436 solo), six sacks, thirty tackles for loss, 37 pass deflections, six interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries. He also made two Pro Bowls and was selected to two NFL All-Pro Teams.
“Without DeMeco Ryans, I’m not the Fred Warner you see up here today,” Warner declared on Monday. “He is everything.” He’s been absolutely essential to my growth as a man and as a player, and I will always be grateful to him.”
In addition to helping Warner become possibly the best linebacker in the NFL, Ryans played a significant role in the 49ers’ choice to choose Warner with their first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
In the present day, nobody is more surprised than Warner that Ryans has achieved this level of success in his first year as head coach.
He remarked, “I’m not surprised by the success they had in Houston.” “I had no doubt that he would establish a culture where they would do things correctly from the start.”
