It didn't take long for 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to earn a catchy new nickname.
After working closely with Wilks for a few weeks now, third-year cornerback Deommodore Lenoir took notes and came up with the perfect moniker for his new coach.
"I was very impressed. He's like the Godfather of the DBs," Lenoir told reporters after Wednesday's practice. "He's got every answer and he's always a positive person. There was plays I gave up in OTAs and it was never [him] breaking me down. It was always bringing me up, and telling me how I can be better.
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"I'll take my hat off to him."
Wilks was hired to lead San Francisco's elite defense after DeMeco Ryans became head coach of the Houston Texans back in February.
In just a few months, he's making his presence known.
San Francisco 49ers
During the second day of the 49ers' mandatory minicamp practice on Wednesday, Wilks was seen -- and heard -- on the sideline coaching up the secondary.
"I coach through the back end because that’s really my expertise, so I see certain things back there and try to make coaching points on the run just to try to get those guys to self-correct themselves," Wilks said after practice. "Because there’s times, of course, during the game [where] you can’t get to them, so you just want them to be able to think about what should have just happened, and then hit the reset button and get ready for the next play."
Wilks has said he doesn't intend to change a whole lot in 2023, but rather just mix in his own style with the 49ers' already dominant defense.
With the expectations already high for the 49ers as they look for revenge following a heartbreaking end to their 2022 season, having a nickname like "The Godfather" could add to that pressure for Wilks.