Why Lance looks ‘different' to Bryant Young in 49ers camp

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When the 49ers reported to Santa Clara for the opening of training camp this summer, Pro Football Hall of Famer Bryant Young was there to meet and greet a few of the team's current players.

Young previously met quarterback Trey Lance at a fundraising golf event last year in Carmel. What stood out to Young was how much Lance, 22, has grown in a short period of time.

The person he met two weeks ago carried himself in a completely different manner, Young observed.

“I had a chance to talk to him, first time meeting him,” Young said on 49ers Talk shortly after his induction Saturday into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. “Good kid. Looks great. Got a sense of his personality.

“But when I saw him on report date, he felt different. His presence was different. I could see his confidence was different. You could see just the look in his eye.”

Young emphasized to Lance that he does not have to put pressure on himself to do everything for the team. He has a lot of talent around him. Lance is in a much-better spot than a lot of other first-time starting quarterbacks.

Young said he shared some advice for Lance, whom the 49ers selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft:

“Look, Trey, you’re a great talent. The one thing you got to do is just do your part. You have so many different guys who can do amazing things around you in this offense. Just do your part. You don’t have to be bigger than the offense. Manage the game and trust your teammates.”

Lance takes over this season for veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who started 51 games, including six in the postseason, for the 49ers since moving into the starting lineup late in the 2017 season.

RELATED: Soft-spoken Young delivers powerful message in HOF speech

Young said he could sense a positive energy in the building as the club reported for work this summer. During his Hall of Fame speech, Young said, "Let’s win another Super Bowl!"

As the season starts, Young seems to believe the 49ers have as good of a shot as any team in the NFL.

“I’m really excited about this team,” Young said. “I think they have a lot of great pieces in place. It was great that Deebo (Samuel) got signed again. I think their defense is going to be solid. I’m excited to see what they can do.”

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