San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw will receive the Dwight Clark Legacy Award, and fellow linebacker Fred Warner sees Greenlaw as “more than deserving” of it.
“The admiration Dwight’s teammates had for him is the same we have for Dre. The way he inspires people through his relentless play is recognized on and off the field,” Warner said via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on Thursday.
“He’s been a brother to me since we drafted him in 2019. I’ve always said it, I wouldn’t be the player I am without Dre Greenlaw. He never asks for praise. He just shows up every day to play the game he loves,” Warner added.
The annual award, in memory of the late 49ers wide receiver known for “The Catch”, goes to a player “who best exemplifies” Clark’s “spirit of teamwork and camaraderie from the previous season, Maiocco wrote. Clark played for the 49ers from 1979 to 1987 and helped the team win two Super Bowls. He passed away from ALS in 2018.
Joe Montana to Dwight Clark in the 1981 NFC Championship.
The Catch. 40 years ago today. (Jan. 10, 1982) pic.twitter.com/VRDS3SGfYO
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) January 10, 2022
Greenlaw, who will receive the award on May 16, comes off a solid season with the 49ers amid 120 tackles, 1.5 sacks in the regular season plus two interceptions in the playoffs. He sustained an Achilles tear in the Super Bowl.
Previous 49ers recipients include Warner in 2023 and tight end George Kittle in 2021, the first year of the award. Former 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead also received the award in 2022, but he now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dre Greenlaw Making Progress on Injury Front
Greenlaw could give an update on his injury progress on May 16 as Maiocco mentioned. For now, the there’s been an update from general manager John Lynch and a promising take from Dr. Kenneth Jung, who has worked on similar NFL injuries.
Dre will tell you he’s going to be back Week 1. I don’t put anything past Dre, but we have to be smart. Maybe a PUP [Physically Unable to Perform list] situation,” Lynch told reporters on March 25.
Greenlaw had surgery on February 15. Jung told The San Francisco Chronicle that Greenlaw has a legitimate chance to get back on the field in time for Week 1.
“We can confidently tell [patients] that at six months, that’s a reasonable amount of time to be back,” Jung said.
Dre Greenlaw injured himself running on to the field 😳
pic.twitter.com/R25L8LnpTn— Footballism (@FootbaIIism) February 12, 2024
Jung works for Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. He previously had involvement in the sixth-month Achilles tear recovery by Cam Akers, a former Los Angeles Rams running back, in 2021.
“It’s getting that confidence back, especially with an Achilles,” Jung said. “In the back of their mind, they remember that pop in their leg. And it’s being able to trust that leg again to push off and explode off it. It requires getting rid of that apprehension, where they know they can just plant their foot in the ground and go.”
49ers Could Alleviate Dre Greenlaw Injury in Draft
The 49ers had Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace in for a visit on Tuesday according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Wallace posted 80 tackles, 5.5 sacks and an interception for the Wildcats last season. The 49ers could draft him for linebacker depth in the event Greenlaw can’t go by Week 1.
