SANTA CLARA -- Deebo Samuel was full of giggles Wednesday as the 49ers wide receiver discussed his coach's viral comments from the day before.
Yes, Samuel kept Shanahan up to speed on his offseason progress courtesy of some shirtless snapshots. The coach joyfully threw his player under the bus for the texts as he spoke with reporters Tuesday, but Samuel's reaction after Day 1 of training camp practice the next day only underscored the duo's unique relationship -- which began before he was even a member of the 49ers.
"I think I go back to when I came out of college," Samuel said Wednesday. "He was the coach at the Senior Bowl, and I was playing for them. And one thing that kind of stuck with me from him and [49ers general manager] John [Lynch] was if I'm on the [draft] board when the time came for the Niners to pick in the second round, I was going to be the guy.
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"He was really big on [being] a man of his word. That just kind of stuck with me for a long time, and you just build a relationship from there."
Samuel is right -- the most important thing in any relationship is trust. And with the No. 36 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, Shanahan made good on his Senior Bowl promise by bringing Samuel to the Bay.
The coach keeping his word certainly paid off, as Samuel has gone on to become one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the NFL. He burst onto the scene in 2019 with an 800-yard season as a rookie and made waves as a "wide back" in 2021, but after a 2022 season Samuel described as "awful" and "sluggish," the wide receiver is looking to return to his All-Pro form in 2023 (hence the shirtless updates).
San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan on Tuesday praised Samuel for his harsh self-assessment, saying it was cool to hear but emphasizing the wideout didn't play as horribly as he implied.
"Deebo is one of the best players in this league, and any time he doesn’t play like one of the best players in this league, everyone is going to be disappointed, including himself," Shanahan said.
"Because he wasn’t one of the best players in the league, I think he was disappointed. I think he can get back to playing a little more like he did in ’21. He took one small step back. It doesn’t mean he can’t take two steps forward."
Through the ups and downs of Samuel's NFL career, Shanahan has remained a constant. Their relationship manifests itself through a variety of hilarious means, like when the worried coach FaceTimed Samuel last season after he hurt his knee and ankle in Week 14 -- and the receiver was in the middle of a meal at Benihana after the game.
And over the years, Samuel reportedly would spend a great deal of time in Shanahan's office during the week. Before team drills on the practice field, the two regularly can be seen at midfield chatting -- sometimes about football, other times about life.
Their relationship was questioned last summer as Samuel and the 49ers negotiated a new contract amid a trade request, but everything worked out in the end. During OTAs back in June, Samuel pointed to that saga as part of the reason for his lackluster performance in 2022. But now, he feels like a rookie again when it comes to his health.
"This offseason is pretty good for me," Samuel said Wednesday. "I'd say this is probably the best shape that I've been in since 2019. You got that long time of working out, long time of preparation, and I took those 40 days away and really got to it and got to where I wanted to be.
"I feel kind of faster, lighter on my feet, easier to change direction."
It's on a player to put in the work and become the best version of himself before he takes the field. And while Samuel has proved he has the drive to do so, the task becomes much easier when you have a coach who believes in you -- and who you have fun playing for.