Fred Warner Earns First-Career NFC Defensive Player Of The Week Honor
Nov 27, 2019, 12:48 PM | Updated: 12:50 pm
Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers runs out on the field prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – Former BYU linebacker Fred Warner has become a star for the San Francisco 49ers defense. Warner had maybe his best performance in the NFL last Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.
For his performance against Green Bay, Warner was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
He balled out on @SNFonNBC.@fred_warner earns NFC Defensive Player of the Week Honors 🔥https://t.co/0SruQqTElA pic.twitter.com/zRUqiYqWTI
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 27, 2019
In the Niners dominating 37-8 win over the Packers, Warner led the San Francisco defense with 11 solo tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble.
“That’s what you expect out of a guy in his second year,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Especially with how much he played his first year. But, it doesn’t always go that way. Sometimes, guys have a real good first year and they relax a little bit thinking they figured it out and then you get extremely humbled the second year.
“Fred got to play a ton and exceeded expectations, I think, with everyone his first year. Then, he was just even more hungry, came back like a 10-year vet and came back better mentally, better physically and I think it’s shown to everyone in every game.”
Players of the week
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆AFC
Offensive: QB Lamar Jackson, BAL
Defensive: LB Joe Schobert, CLE
Special Teams: WR Matthew Slater, NENFC
Offensive: WR Chris Godwin, TB
Defensive: LB Fred Warner, SF
Special Teams:
WR Steven Sims, WAS— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 27, 2019
Warner, a third-round pick by San Francisco in the 2018 NFL Draft, has compiled 205 total tackles in 27 games played with the 49ers. This season, Warner leads the 49ers in tackles with 81 through 11 games.
This week, Warner and the 10-1 49ers have maybe their toughest test in trying to stop Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday in Baltimore.
Warner played at BYU from 2014-2017 and was a three-year starter for the Cougars compiling 264 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, seven interceptions, and five forced fumbles. When his playing career ended in Provo, Warner finished 24th all-time in BYU history for tackles and is considered one of the best linebackers to have ever played for the Cougars.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
