SANTA CLARA – With the opening of training camp, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo got back to hard-core football.
As he grows into his role as the leader of the offense, Garoppolo shared that he spent a lot of time during the offseason talking shop with veteran cornerback and new teammate Richard Sherman, who is recognized as one of the brightest football minds in the organization.
Sherman, a four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro during his seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, confirmed he has an open, productive and ongoing dialogue with Garoppolo.
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“We talk about a lot,” Sherman said. “We talk about the strengths and weaknesses of certain defenses, passes that he likes, people that he likes to take on dates.”
Ah, yes.
Garoppolo quickly became the face of the franchise when he signed a five-year, $137.5 million contract with the 49ers in the offseason. And that face is now recognizable to a wider swath of America.
Last week, Garoppolo was all the buzz of the Internet when TMZ posted video of him dining with Kiara Mia -- of pornography films fame – during an apparent date in Beverly Hills. It might not have been the most discreet setting for one who wished to go unnoticed, but Garoppolo is also still adjusting to his new reality.
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Despite logging just seven career starts in four NFL seasons and going 5-0 last season while being fully comfortable with just a fraction of coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, Garoppolo’s face is now firmly established as click bait.
“Just that life is different now,” he answered Wednesday when asked what he learned from his well-publicized dining experience.
“My life off the field, I’ve never really been big on being very public with things. Even social media, I’m not out there a ton. But my life is looked at differently, and I’m under a microscope. It’s like Kyle said, it is a good learning experience. Just have to take it in stride. It is what it is.”
The 49ers reported for training camp at the team facility on Wednesday. The club will hit the practice field for the first time on Thursday. The focus is back on football – mostly.
“I’ve never heard of any of those articles,” Shanahan quipped. “What are you talking about?”
Shanahan pointed out that Garoppolo, having spent 3 ½ seasons with the New England Patriots, should have already gained an understanding of the spotlight a good-looking quarterback from a notable franchise attracts off the field.
“I think everybody has an idea of how you should handle the spotlight,” Shanahan said. “But not everyone is in that spotlight. Never in my life have I commented on a player’s date in July, so I’m not going to start today because I don’t think it really pertains or matters to us.
“But I do think that is a very good example. Even though you know, sometimes you have to learn how under the microscope we all are. It’s not just the quarterback. It’s all players. The quarterback definitely gets more than anyone else, but I think it’s a good learning experience for him and he’s got to know what comes with that stuff.”
In reality, the only true learning that will have any impact on Garoppolo and the team continues during an important training camp – his first as a member of the 49ers. Garoppolo arrived last year in a midseason trade with the Patriots. He never had time to fully grasp Shanahan’s complex offense.
Once he came back to Santa Clara for the offseason program, Garoppolo began his learning process from the beginning. He became a film star in his own right with the countless hours he spent watching relevant football footage.
“Just the situation I was in last year was so difficult because you’re preparing for a defense that you’re learning in a week,” he said. “But at the same time, you’re learning brand new calls, new verbiage, all that stuff. So it was combining all of that into one that made it so difficult.
“Being able to start from the ground up and learn the why’s of the offense, how it all ties together, how one play helps dictate the next play, it just makes more sense.”