Don’t underestimate the craftiness of fatherly advice.
When star linebacker Dre Greenlaw was debating his NFL future, he came across eye-opening words from his adopted father, Brian Early, whose intentions were to convince him to leave the 49ers.
Having played six memorable years in San Francisco alongside former 49ers teammate and All-Pro Fred Warner – considered one of the NFL’s elite inside linebacker duos – Early insisted to Greenlaw it was time to become a captain.
To get his point across, Early used a fitting Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen analogy.
“Hey, man, you stay in San Francisco, you’re Scottie Pippen,” Early recalled telling Greenlaw in an interview with The Denver Post’s Luca Evans.
“And Fred Warner is MJ. Go be frickin’ MJ.”
Soon enough, Greenlaw followed his father’s advice, signing a three-year, $35 million contract with the Denver Broncos in free agency despite the 49ers’ aggressive bid to keep him in the Bay Area.
Since being selected No. 148 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, Greenlaw had been a force for San Francisco on the field and a vocal leader in the locker room.
In five seasons, the 27-year-old, who joins a strong Broncos defense alongside former 49ers teammate Talanoa Hufanga, started 68 games for the 49ers.
Taking into consideration Early’s analogy, Greenlaw decided to spread his wings in search of a Jordan-esque slam dunk.
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