How 49ers' Jimmie Ward fought through adversity to become key fixture

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Jimmie Ward was in Alabama on Wednesday when he jumped on a video conference to speak with reporters. He set an iconic San Francisco landmark as his background.

With a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge behind him, Ward spoke about becoming a fixture of his own in the Bay Area.

In fact, Ward became the team’s longest-tenured player after left tackle Joe Staley retired last month after 13 NFL seasons. Ward edges out long-snapper Kyle Nelson by three months. Ward was a first-round draft pick of the 49ers in 2014. In July, the 49ers signed Nelson.

Ward, 28, said he does not feel so old because, after all, he has Richard Sherman, 32, as a teammate.

“It’s really surprising,” Ward said. “I don’t feel any different. I actually have Sherm in my DB room, so I feel like he’s the oldest guy in the league. I feel like it’s a big deal saying I’m the longest-tenured guy who plays on the 49ers, and I think that’s awesome.”

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Ward signed a three-year, $28.5 million contract in March to return to the 49ers for a seventh season. General manager John Lynch said Ward possessed the attributes he values in his players. He intimated that another team might have offered him more money. But he said he felt satisfied with everything the 49ers had to offer, namely the contract and a comfortable setting.

The fact Ward has established stability with the 49ers is remarkable because the road has been anything but smooth. He played for Jim Harbaugh, Jim Tomsula, Chip Kelly and Kyle Shanahan, as well as general managers Trent Baalke and Lynch.

Ward remained with the organization through all those changes. And battled a slew of injuries along the way.

He landed on injured reserve with broken bones in four of his first five NFL seasons. And his sixth year began with a broken collarbone in the offseason and a fractured finger that forced him out of the first three games of the season. Ward played 16 games last season for the first time since 2015, with three of those games coming in the postseason.

Ward said his version of the late Kobe Bryant’s Mamba mentality helped him get through all the adversity he experienced during his time with the 49ers.

“Throughout your career, in any professional sport, you’re going to go through some type of adversity,” Ward said. “And what gets you through that type of adversity is a mindset. I’ve been through a lot, but everybody’s been through a lot.”

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Ward said he believes he has plenty of room to become a more impactful player. Although he was chosen as a Pro Bowl alternate last year, he expects to make a greater difference on defense this season by generating more takeaways. Ward has only two interceptions in his 64-game NFL career.

But the first step for him is remaining healthy through another season. Ward said he is focusing on nutrition and stretching to give him the best chance of staying on the field.

“I’m trying to avoid soft-tissue injuries,” he said. “Breaking bones, and this and that, hopefully, I stay healthy, but that can happen. But soft-tissue injuries, I can avoid that by yoga and just working out and putting the right things in my body.”

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