San Francisco 49er Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo answers questions from press on Thursday, January 23, 2020 — the latest highlight in Garoppolo’s journey from growing up in Arlington Heights, participating in youth football on the Cowboys, then Rolling Meadows High School Mustangs football, Eastern Illinois University Panthers football, NFL franchise New England Patriots, 2 Super Bowls as backup quarterback to Tom Brady, and starting quarterback with the NFC Champion team — the San Francisco 49ers.
QUESTIONS IN BOLD …
… Super Bowl rings, where do you keep them, and do you ever wear them … and can you [compare being?] a starter as opposed to backing up?
Yeah, those are back in Chicago, safe and sound, so … I don’t know if I’ve worn them any other times other than like the ring ceremony, maybe to a school, visiting or something like that, but that was about it, but just um it’s another great opportunity to be back to it and just uh these don’t come around very often so you got to take advantage when you get them.
How do you think your Super Bowl experience will help you the next couple of weeks and during The Day?
I think just when you get down there, especially the media availability, all the requirements and obligations that you have to do, I think just having been through that and obviously being a starter it’s a little different with time management and everything, but just having seen all that, being up close and personal with it, I think all that will help me.
What are your recollections of Patrick Mahomes visiting you after the the Chiefs game last year, and did that make an impression on you that he would, you know?
Absolutely yeah I didn’t even know Pat at the time, you know, for him to come out of his way after the game and, you know, wish me luck and everything … just a real class, act I mean the guy’s awesome on the field off the field, he’s you know, he does it all.
Have you guys stayed in touch at all?
No, not really since then no, but just for him to do something as simple as that, it went a long way.
You said that you don’t really care how often you throw, and all you really care about is winning … somebody like Richard Sherman will see any sort of slights against him and use that as motivation … I’m wondering with all this discussion about you, your play, the fact that you threw just eight passes in the NFC title game, how you use that, or have you view it if it’s even on your mind at all?
Oh yeah, I mean ‘Sherm’ … everyone has different ways to, you know, get motivated and very similar to ‘Sherm’ I do the same thing, you know, I hear all the stuff and everything but it’s just um you can’t you know you can’t put that all out there all the time it’s just, you know. You have to do with it what you will, and take it for what it is just, you know, at the end of the day you gotta go out there and play football.
What do you think is the benefit of examining Tom Brady in a Super Bowl in the game that will play a roll in how you prepare for this game?
I think just uh how calm he was, how you know, everyone says he got treated like another game but just the way that he actually did it, I mean, I was right you know up close and personal just getting all the … I don’t know … picking up everything I could, seeing how he went about his business, and everything, and obviously it worked out the two times that I was there with him and so, try to transfer that over my game.
Jimmy, what do you think of the Chiefs’ defense?
A talented group, they really are, it starts up front, you know 95 (Chris Jones), 55 (Dee Ford) they got other guys that could get after two but just their overall team speed you know they, mix it up in coverages they don’t really … they’re trying not to give you anything easy, and so it makes it difficult on us.
I mean, how hard was it to watch that film last year what was it like for you obviously with the emotions of your injury but studying that tape in their defense?
Yeah, it brings up … brought up a lot of memories obviously you know with the knee and everything it’s crazy just how things come full circle like that, but it’s, you know, new year and everything you could take some things from the players and things like that, but you know the scheme it’s a little, a little different this year.
Other memory from Kansas City this year: you were coming off a rougher game in Denver in the preseason, but you’re really sharp, in retrospect; how important was that performance just to get your confidence back and your legs back underneath you?
I thought it was important, it definitely was … especially just with the timing of it — coming back from the knee and everything; I knew there was gonna be, you know, bump in the road or a hiccup at some point, and I think just I, you know, Denver happened and all that and then bounce it back in Kansas City just uh really helped escalate things.
Jimmy, you played under … sorry to interrupt you, you played under a Hall of Fame coach, and then you come here and you encounter, look at coach it doesn’t look like Belichick … What were you expecting from Kyle, and did anything surprise you?
I would say, you know, I expected, you know, very sharp offensive mind because I’d never met Kyle prior to that other than, you know, combine and things like that, but just from hearsay around the league … just a smart guy who, you know, he commands the room, he could lead men and just offensive mind like no other, and so it’s, I mean, there was no surprises with that all held true and just the way that he could lead it’s, it’s incredible. I mean he does it in different ways on the field, and the meeting room and the team meeting all that stuff it just goes a long way.
How would you describe yourself as a leader?
I think I just be myself, you know, let it come naturally. I never tried to, you know, go outside the box and, you know, do something that isn’t myself because I think guys see right through that and just think it’s fake and can’t be that way; guys, you know, guys are smart in there, so they’ll see right through you. But I think at the end of the day, you gotta be yourself.
Along the same lines because you might say you’re, you know, one of the guys you don’t elevate yourself, you’re not like I’m the franchise quarterback, you’re not. But at the same time you can’t just be one of the guys because you’re the quarterback and there are times when you have to (?) and scream at them, like it’s the Brown’s game or whatever. Anyway, is that something that comes naturally, or have you learned the art of how to balance those things?
There’s definitely a balance to it. It’s a fine line, but I think at the end of the day as long as guys respect you, respect your opinion … you know, they see the work you put in, things like that, I think all that carries tremendous weight and it’s just um you know when we’re around each other the teammates just as much as we are, you just know your guys inside and out and they know you inside not so there’s really no being fake it’s just … it is what it is.
Jimmy, on a pretty young team: How important is Joe Staley as a voice in the locker room?
It’s it’s huge to have him, you know, especially just big moments, games like this and we’ve had him throughout the entire end of the season that feels like these big games but just uh having a guy like that who could you know calm everything down, put everything in perspective and things like that, I mean Joe’s done phenomenal on the field and the things he does off the field go very unnoticed, but it carries us a long way.
Does he say things in the huddle much?
From time to time, yeah, I think you know there’s a time and place that he will, but yeah I mean everyone everyone leads in their own way or, you know, shows examples of that.
Jimmy, just wondering because it is different going through the process as a starter and the backup: will you reach out to Tom or anyone from the Patriots just to get advice how to handle what you’re about to encounter in the next week-and-a-half?
I might, it’s not a bad idea. I mean it’s just … the more information that you could get about it and having been through it, it’s a little different as a starter than backup, so any information I could get would be great.
Speaking of what you learned from Tom Brady, just being a part of the Super Bowl was like, during the game against the Seattle Seahawks: just what can you speak about [regarding] his demeanor when he led that game-winning drive in the Super Bowl?
Yeah, just uh, I mean, I said it before, he treats it like every other game, and you could see it and how he is, you know his body mannerisms … everything is just how he prepares for it, makes him confident on Sunday and so I’m trying to do the same thing … be ready to go, and see what happens.
One of the things Kyle’s done and John have done, and they embrace the history of this franchise, and so, Joe Montana is at a game, Jerry Rice’s is at a game … Steve Young … how do you feel about the importance of that, and then how do you feel about being measured by the standard of those players?
Well I love that we keep it, you know, in the family and all … everything it’s just uh when those older players come back and, you know, just whether they talk to us or you just see them on the sidelines, it’s it’s having them around, it’s cool, you know, it’s just … uh … makes you realize the history of this organization and it’s just … uh … whenever you get that opportunity I mean it’s great.
Somewhere(?) to ‘Sherm’ (Richard Sherman) in the way that you guys both see perceived slights … obviously you guys react publicly to them in very different ways. I’m wondering, where do you think your approach to just being kind of quiet about that comes from versus ‘Sherm’ obviously who’s who seems to feel himself by being a little bit louder about it?
I don’t know, I don’t know … I think maybe having two older brothers … you say too much you get, you know, keep your mouth shut a little bit … just uh I don’t know, I think it just comes for me naturally, you know, how I am.
How important was the first road trip where you guys stayed on the road and building team unity and kind of getting off to a good start – 2-and-0 and then come in and go on the run you guys did 8 in a row?
The one in Ohio you’re talking about?
Yeah, starting the season now … how important was that to build the team unity?
It was cool … it was … it seems like a lifetime ago, but just uh, I mean staying in the Holiday Inn and all that stuff … just … it was an eventful week … a little, a little different than what we were used to, but that time you get to spend with each other, with the coaches with the teammates is, I mean, you can’t replace that … it’s it’s awesome.
Jimmy … you have a viral moment where Kyle talks to an official on the sideline who said, the coverage is going to go this way … there’s … watch for a holding … how often does he do that with you guys as players during the week on install, you know, is there a certain time that you remember where you think, ‘well is that really gonna happen?’ and have it happen exactly the way he said it?
Yeah, there’s definitely been a couple of those, I mean, it would be hard to recall one off the top my head, but he always throughout the week, I mean, whether it’s situationally this specific play, or whatever it is, he’ll you know, I don’t know if you call it predicting, or you know, giving you a heads up of what he thinks is gonna happen, and when it does happen … it … it’s very impressive and it as a player … you just … when a coach does that you could trust him so much with that … it’s just invaluable.
You guys have not run a lot of passing plays this last week … can that be an advantage in the Super Bowl since the defense hasn’t seen much?
Yeah, yeah … I mean it’s … They’re left(?) to be on their toes, you know kind of play the game out as it goes.
More 49ers Interviews
San Francisco 49ers/YouTube | Kyle Shanahan Previews Super Bowl LIV | 49ers
San Francisco 49ers/YouTube | Nick Bosa’s Insider Knowledge of Chiefs | 49ers
San Francisco 49ers/YouTube | Joe Staley: ‘Practicing Against Nick Bosa Makes Me Better’ | 49ers
San Francisco 49ers/YouTube | Robert Saleh Analyzes Patrick Mahomes & Chiefs Offense | 49ers
San Francisco 49ers/YouTube | Emmanuel Sanders’ Super Bowl Experience Keeps Him Focused | 49ers
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