WEBVTT - TE Brayden Willis Discusses How He Fits in the 49ers Offense | Press Pass

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<v Speaker 1>Hi, Brandon, and congratulations, And I just wanted to ask

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<v Speaker 1>you how you felt about sort of the culture fit

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<v Speaker 1>as far as what you do and what you like

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<v Speaker 1>to do and how the forty nine ers run their offense.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, of course, I mean, first and foremost, I like winning,

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<v Speaker 2>So I mean obviously the Diners do a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>winning and I love doing that. And also, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>the system fits me really well. You know, I think

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<v Speaker 2>I can learn a lot from George Kittle. I think

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<v Speaker 2>I could do a lot in terms of versatility and

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<v Speaker 2>the offense and just the way that they use their

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<v Speaker 2>tight end run game and past game. I just think

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<v Speaker 2>they could do a lot. So I think that it's

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<v Speaker 2>a great fit for me. I think it's the best

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<v Speaker 2>fit for me, and I'm excited to get in and

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<v Speaker 2>go to work.

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<v Speaker 3>Bradon, what was your pre draft contact like with San Francisco.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean saying the Niners showed their hand the

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<v Speaker 2>whole time. You know, I think that they showed their

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<v Speaker 2>hand out of most people, and I fully expected to

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<v Speaker 2>hear something from them, you know, and I did. And

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just excited to be here, excited to go to work,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, hopefully I can have a long you know,

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<v Speaker 2>great career here, Brden.

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<v Speaker 3>You're not only known as a tight end, but you've

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<v Speaker 3>done half back work, you've done full back work. Where

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<v Speaker 3>do you think your strengths are and how do you

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<v Speaker 3>think that fits into the FIRS offense.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think mostly on a tight end. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I've done a lot of tight end work and that's

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<v Speaker 2>what I'm accustomed to. I'm used to obviously play a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of different positions, and I'm gonna do anything that

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<v Speaker 2>the coaching staff asked you know of me. But like

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<v Speaker 2>I said, I'm coming in as a tight end. I

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<v Speaker 2>want to make a mark as that, and like I said,

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<v Speaker 2>I'll do anything to coach staff asked of me to do,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm excited to get to work.

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<v Speaker 4>So it was mentioned that you didn't play at least

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<v Speaker 4>line up, I guess on occasion at full back. Is

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<v Speaker 4>that accurate? And how did that come to be? Like

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<v Speaker 4>did a coach say, hey, go over there and see

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<v Speaker 4>like doing that or or what was that process?

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<v Speaker 2>I really haven't played any fullback unless you count me

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<v Speaker 2>being in a wing as a fullback in Oklahoma. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>I've been in the wing. I've been in a snip

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<v Speaker 2>for a little bit just for a specific run plays.

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<v Speaker 2>But I mean, like I said, I could do it.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I'm a football player, so it's not hard

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<v Speaker 2>to you know, pick up, But I could do it.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm good at it and I'll do whatever they want

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<v Speaker 2>me to do. So it just kind of came by

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<v Speaker 2>me being versatile. You know, I could do a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of different things. You know football players can, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it's kind of how it came about. But

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<v Speaker 2>you know, I'm excited to be able to do a

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<v Speaker 2>whole bunch of different things.

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<v Speaker 5>Be a chess piece, so that could use. So I'm excited.

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<v Speaker 6>Can you tell me how a college tight end views

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<v Speaker 6>George Kittle and just like what the whole persona of

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<v Speaker 6>him and his ability on and off the film.

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<v Speaker 2>I think, I mean at Oklahoma in general, we watch

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of George Kittle. You know, he just does

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<v Speaker 2>so many great things. He does so many things that

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<v Speaker 2>we do as an offense. You know, he blocks so

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<v Speaker 2>many like the same schemes that we do, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>in terms of gap zone, outside zone, inside zone, counters,

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<v Speaker 2>all types of stuff.

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<v Speaker 5>Right, So, uh, we watch a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>Of his film and I mean, like just a willing blocker,

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<v Speaker 2>a great pass catcher, a great athlete, a guy that

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<v Speaker 2>could do it all right. So I just think that,

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<v Speaker 2>like we view him as a chess piece, a guy

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<v Speaker 2>that can move around, do a lot of things and

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<v Speaker 2>make the other team pay. And that's how I view

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<v Speaker 2>myself as well. So I'm excited to get to learn

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<v Speaker 2>from him. He's one of the best in the business obviously,

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, I don't think I can't think of

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<v Speaker 2>a greater mentor for me in my play style than

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<v Speaker 2>you know, George Kittle.

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<v Speaker 5>So Hight Brandon.

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<v Speaker 7>Speaking of George, he has almost like he gets this

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<v Speaker 7>maniacal joy from from blocking, from moving a man from

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<v Speaker 7>point A to point.

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<v Speaker 5>B on tape.

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<v Speaker 7>You're you're a really good blocker as well. How would

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<v Speaker 7>you kind of characterize your your passion for that that

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<v Speaker 7>part of the game, that physical part of the game.

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<v Speaker 5>I really think you just said it.

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<v Speaker 2>Moving another man from point A to point B, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>under you know, without him wanting to be moved. I

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<v Speaker 2>think that's the best feeling in the world. It's just

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<v Speaker 2>as good as scoring a touchdown.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, when you're.

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<v Speaker 2>Able to move someone you know under their will, it's

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<v Speaker 2>the best feeling. So I think that's, you know, the

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<v Speaker 2>joy he gets from it, that's the same joy I

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<v Speaker 2>get from it.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, it's it's the violent nature of the game.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think that if you're a fan of the

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<v Speaker 2>violent nature of the game, the physicality and everything, I

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<v Speaker 2>think that, uh, you.

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<v Speaker 5>You get a joy out of that too.

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<v Speaker 2>So, like I said, I think we're both the fans

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<v Speaker 2>of the violent, physical nature of the game and that

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<v Speaker 2>that's why we'd love to do stuff like that.

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<v Speaker 1>So looking at your stat line, your your seven touchdowns

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<v Speaker 1>jumps out. I'm just wondering whether there's a theme with

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<v Speaker 1>those seven tds, whether it was you know, you're there,

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<v Speaker 1>teams are expecting the run and then it allows you

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<v Speaker 1>to kind of slip out and catch a touchdown. What

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<v Speaker 1>were what were those those seven touchdowns?

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<v Speaker 2>Like not a lot of those touchdowns, you know, a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of them came, a lot of them came in

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<v Speaker 2>the red zone. But there are more passing situations. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>there are some situations where you know you're expecting to

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<v Speaker 2>run and we do something, you know, a little pop

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<v Speaker 2>pass or something like that.

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<v Speaker 5>There's one of those.

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<v Speaker 2>But uh, like I said, I mean, it's just a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of matchup things, right, So you get in the

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<v Speaker 2>ability to be in a matchup, you know, situation where

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<v Speaker 2>you got a guy that you like it to match

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<v Speaker 2>up and the coaches liked me, and a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>these matchups they're out the year, and so I was

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<v Speaker 2>able to capitalize on that. And so you know, just

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<v Speaker 2>shout out to my coaching staff at Oklahoma. They put

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<v Speaker 2>me in great positions, allowed me to, you know, be myself,

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<v Speaker 2>be the.

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<v Speaker 5>Best football player that I could be, and allow me

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<v Speaker 5>to capitalize on that.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think that's more so what it was, all right, Jane,

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<v Speaker 2>go ahead, last.

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<v Speaker 3>One, Bradon, you had seven point two yards after catch

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<v Speaker 3>as an average. How excited are you to go to

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<v Speaker 3>the forty nine ers and be with George Kittle, not

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<v Speaker 3>only just him, but Deebo Samael, Christian McCaffrey even and

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<v Speaker 3>I who are known for the yards after catch.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I just think it's one of those things where

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<v Speaker 2>you have to I mean, as my career has gone

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<v Speaker 2>to Oklahoma, learned do the yards after catch things, practiced

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<v Speaker 2>it caught the ball and practice and practice my moves

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<v Speaker 2>after the catch and everything. And I'm excited to learn

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<v Speaker 2>from all those guys because they're really all of those

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<v Speaker 2>guys that are great, you know, in yards after the catch,

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<v Speaker 2>the area. So I'm excited to learn from all those guys,

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<v Speaker 2>pick up some tips and tricks that they have that

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<v Speaker 2>made them so success fall in college and in the league,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, just make me a better player.

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<v Speaker 5>That's the biggest thing I want to learn.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to be a better player, and I want

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<v Speaker 2>to be able to contribute on a bigger scale. So

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<v Speaker 2>that's that's just the biggest thing I'm excited for.