Defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. led the 49ers in sacks during the 2020 season, but he was never able to bring the fans to their feet or benefit from crowd noise at Levi’s Stadium.
His one year with the 49ers was the season that many teams around the NFL played to empty stadiums during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, Hyder is back with the 49ers on a one-year contract and ready to experience what he missed during his first stint with the organization.
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“I’m a D-lineman, so you’re looking forward to that third down at home and you hear the crowd roaring behind you,” Hyder said. “You live for those moments, so I’m excited to hear the fans at Levi’s, and hearing them roar. I’m looking forward to that.”
Hyder registered a career-high of 8.5 sacks two seasons ago and parlayed that into a three-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks. But he was released last week after getting paid $3.65 million for his one season with the club. He registered 1.5 sacks and 33 tackles.
“I always have high expectations for myself, and coming off a career year, you expect to build on that momentum,” Hyder said. “I feel like I had a good season. Stats don’t always tell the whole story. I might not have had the stats, but I feel as a player I grew and I got better last year.”
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Hyder said after he got released, his mind automatically went to the thought of returning to the 49ers. He broke into the NFL with the Detroit Lions in 2015 with Kris Kocurek as his position coach. He was reunited with Kocurek with the 49ers.
“He puts me on the field and he trusts me to make it happen,” Hyder said of Kocurek. “It’s not a situation where he’s worried about what I’m going to do or he’s going to pull me if he doesn’t like what I’m doing. He trusts me to get the job done. And I’m able to get out there and really get into a rhythm. I think that’s the biggest thing.
“As a player, that’s important to be able to come into a building and know what they want from you and what they expect from you and what you can do for them.”