SANTA CLARA -- 49ers quarterback Trey Lance knows what it is like to score an NFL touchdown for the first time, and he made sure his teammates were able to memorialize the unique experience.
Lance didn’t run to the end zone once Friday night to snag the football that was thrown for a touchdown -- he did it twice. The quarterback wanted make sure the mementos from the event went to his teammates.
On the 49ers' second offensive drive of their 28-21 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers, Lance threw a deep pass to rookie Danny Gray for a 76-yard score. The North Dakota State product quickly sprinted to the end zone to pay it forward, following in the footsteps of tight end George Kittle.
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“I was just fired up for Danny,” Lance said. “I was trying to catch him and make sure that he didn’t punt the ball into the crowd or anything like that. I wanted to make sure he got that first touchdown ball. I know someone did it for me. George did it for me last year, so I know it’s a special one to have.”
Lance’s first touchdown in the team’s 2021 preseason opener happened almost the exact same way as his pass to Gray on Friday night. Early in the first quarter of the 49ers 19-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the quarterback threw an 80-yard bomb to receiver Trent Sherfield.
Knowing how important that ball would be to Lance, Kittle hustled down to the end zone and held onto it for safe keeping. The sophomore quarterback had a feeling that Gray would have no thoughts about holding onto the ball and he was correct.
“I wanted to throw it into the stands but I was just like, we’re going to be humble because there’s many more to come,” Gray said. “So I was just being humble and thanking God for the moment.”
San Francisco 49ers
In the fourth quarter, rookie Brock Purdy led the team on an 11-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to tight end Tanner Hudson. That was followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to KeeSean Johnson.
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Unbeknownst to Purdy, Lance again hustled down to the end zone to grab the football for his teammate.
“Yes, I have it right here,” Purdy said after the game. “Trey was sitting next to me on the bench and told me, ‘I have your ball, by the way.’ Tanner threw it in the back of the end zone, he booked it. Trey went and got it. I am like ‘Dude you are the best’. He is humble, and I look up to that dude a lot.”