SANTA CLARA -- Deommodore Lenoir remembers the play like it was yesterday.
Looking to end the 2022 NFL season on a high note, the 49ers cornerback and the rest of his team came into their Week 18 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals eager to secure their 10th straight win ahead of the playoffs.
And while the January divisional clash at Levi's Stadium ended in a 38-13 rout of Arizona, it didn’t start off that way after Cardinals receiver A.J. Green beat Lenoir on a trick play for a 77-yard touchdown in the game's first 30 seconds.
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Lenoir, now entering his third NFL season, said that play inspired a self-vow that dramatically altered his mindset moving forward.
"What made me feel like I belong was just having to fight," Lenoir said after training camp practice Monday, speaking about some of the success he enjoyed during his sophomore season. "You know, I wasn’t having the best games every week, so, just me just having to come to myself and say I’m going to get it right -- it just takes time, and taking bumps and bruises.
"One play that really helped me, really made me change my mindset was that A.J. Green play. I ain’t give up a touchdown all the way until that play, so when that kind of happened, I really just made a vow to myself that I would never let that happen again. After that play, I just got more confident, you know, and then it carried on to the playoffs."
San Francisco 49ers
The 23-year-old found himself in a starting role opposite Charvarius “Mooney” Ward last season after Emmanuel Moseley suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5. Lenoir proved himself capable as opposing quarterbacks repeatedly targeted him, leading to what general manager John Lynch described in March as a breakthrough season for the young corner courtesy of a trial by fire.
Lenoir finished his second campaign with a career-high three interceptions, picking off passes in both of the 49ers' playoff wins against the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
With the start of the 2023 season right around the corner, Lenoir is looking to follow up his breakout with another solid year -- this time under new 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, whom the corner affectionately has referred to as the "Godfather of DBs." The secondary guru has made it a point to work with Lenoir and Ward 1-on-1, as he did during Monday's practice.
During OTAs in June, Wilks said one of his main goals for the defensive backfield is to limit the number of explosive plays the unit allows. A point of emphasis for Lenoir is playing the ball down the field and using his newfound confidence to his advantage.
"He's a real technician," Lenoir said Monday of Wilks. "He's just helping us kick 45 [degrees] because that's what we had a problem with. As I said, working, opening the gate, having us turn and run. Every guy in this league is fast -- well, most every guy in this league is fast.
"It's hard to just be a track meet every game, so you've got to work angles."
Lenoir was outmuscled by Green back in January, but the touchdown inspired a resilience from which the young corner certainly has benefitted in the following months. And as the vaunted 49ers' defense looks to help San Francisco win its sixth Super Bowl this season, they'll need all of Lenoir's toughness along the way.