SANTA CLARA — The chemistry of the 49ers' wide receivers group is unique in many ways.
At some point during every 49ers practice and before every game, Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne hold a dance-off. Emmanuel Sanders has not only mentioned that their energy keeps him young but that he has learned from his young teammates.
The younger receivers have learned from Sanders’ leadership and experience. The veteran, in turn, has taken to heart their ability to run through the ball and gain yards after the catch.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
While Samuel was flattered by the compliments from his veteran teammate, he was not surprised. The group is very close and they use each other regularly as resources.
“Me personally, I’ve always been the guy that runs through the ball and a guy that makes tackles,” Samuel told NBC Sports Bay Area. “When I got here I seen K.B. do it. He’s got great hands, probably the best that I’ve seen.
“As you can see, every time E-man gets it he’s trying to do the same thing, so I guess it’s just a virus going around the room.”
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Samuel knows it’s not just lip-service from the vet.
San Francisco 49ers
“It feels great,” Samuel said. “Emmanuel is a great leader and a great person as well. He’s one of the very outspoken guys in the meeting rooms when it comes to technique. He sees things that we need to work on.”
But it’s not always fun and games in their position meetings. Samuel says they can be very critical of each other, so much so that you need to have a thick skin to be able to survive.
“Our receiving room is like, I feel like if you’re a soft guy you can’t be in the room because we get on you about making a mistake more than the coaches do,” Samuel said. "If you can’t take it you don’t belong in the room. It’s a great room we got.”
Once the group gets on the field, it’s all business. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t having fun at the same time.
[RELATED: How Sanders, young WRs complement each other]
“It’s just that energy,” Samuel said. “We be in here goofing around, just dancing around. He just be in the same groove we be in. I guess that’s what he’s talking about. Other than that we just playing ball.”
Sanders often joins in on the dancing and Samuel isn’t surprised, believing that the veteran is really young at heart. The value they place on each other for their different characteristics is what is so striking.
“For me, honestly, it’s just great to have him around, his presence and his knowledge, knowing he’s been in the league for 10 years," Samuel said.