A.J. Jenkins pulled up to 49ers headquarters Friday afternoon with a few important items, including a laptop so the team s newest wide receiver could do homework and study for his upcoming finals at the University of Illinois. Jenkins, who plans to graduate on May 13 with a degree in sports management, did not sleep at all the night after hearing his name called as San Francisco s No. 30 overall selection of the 2012 NFL Draft. The 6-foot, 192-pound Illinois wide receiver fielded a number of congratulatory texts, even from some of the wide receiver prospects he was drafted above. But despite being sleep deprived, the 22-year-old was wide-awake on his flight from Jacksonville, Fla., to SFO. Jenkins said it was natural adrenaline keeping him up. The young receiver got an even bigger jolt when he stepped off his flight to see 49ers wide receiver coach John Morton there to pick him up. I ran to his arms like a big kid, Jenkins said with a smile. I was honored to see him again. It s a dream come true. A kid growing up in Jacksonville, Fla., from Terry Parker High School, now playing for San Francisco that s a dream. Words can t really describe that feeling. Besides his laptop and school work, Jenkins packed a dark grey pin-striped suit for his introductory press conference in Santa Clara. San Francisco s No. 30 overall selection was the man of the hour, or many hours, for that matter. When the 2011 All-Big Ten first-team performer arrived at 49ers Headquarters, Jenkins mingled with 49ers VIP Draft Contest winners and met the media where he answered questions about the fallout from the biggest day of his life.
But before he took questions, Jenkins was praised once more by Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who posed for photos with Jenkins and his new No. 17 jersey along with General Manager Trent Baalke. I just want to say I m really happy for you and your family, Harbaugh said looking in Jenkins direction. If you look at what this guy has done over the last four months, he played in two All-Star games, East-West, Senior Bowl, the combine, he s done his own personal workout at Illinois where he probably had 8-10 teams, Harbaugh continued, He even had a workout at 7:30 on a Sunday morning for a team. He s not afraid of competition. He s not afraid to work. Great humility. Jenkins, who caught 167 passes for 2,432 yards and 19 touchdowns in four college seasons, said he did homework of a different variety prior to the press conference. Jenkins researched the 49ers current depth at wide receiver. I know the position, said Jenkins, San Francisco s 54th wideout drafted by the franchise since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger. I ll be around some great athletes and some great players. I m just trying to compete. But before the third Illinois player ever drafted by the 49ers can begin working with teammates, Jenkins has some home maintenance to take care of back in Jacksonville. Prior to hearing his name called at pick No. 30, Jenkins cousin, George Solomon, pranked the young receiver having him believe he was being picked earlier in the first-round. However, a phone call did come later in the first round. At the time, Jenkins had gone into the bathroom when Solomon was once again trying to convince Jenkins he was being drafted. It was for real this time. The 49ers were in fact on the phone looking to speak to Jenkins, who was skeptical about his cousin s pleas for him to open the door. Jenkins wasn t falling for another one of Solomon s pranks. However, Jenkins cousin took matters into his own hands and broke the door down to give the phone to the Illinois wideout. Jenkins promised his mother he would make the situation right by her. When I get back, Jenkins said, I ll buy you a new door. Until he has to do some handy work around his mother s home, Jenkins is trying to embrace the moment of entering the professional football ranks. The reality of joining a proud franchise like the 49ers is not lost on him by any means either. I m really proud to be here, Jenkins said. I m humbled, I m blessed. I m honored to be here, ready to get to work.
Dear 49ers Kids Club Member, May 1st, 2012 While new memberships for siblings and friends are currently on hold for the next few months, we will continue to host contests for all current members to win signed 49ers memorabilia and great 49ers prizes. Each month, we will distribute the Playbook E- Newsletter directly to your parents email inboxes, so you can stay up to date with the happenings of your favorite football team even during the offseason. Sign-ups for the 2012 Kids Club will launch in the summer and will include a brand new merchandise packet full of exclusive 49ers Kids Club goodies! There will also be newly added events and special invitations for you and your family throughout the football season. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the 49ers Kids Club, we would love to hear from you! Please email us at: 49erskidsclub@niners.nfl.com or call (408) 562-4949. We wish you all the best as we continue through our busy offseason and can t wait to see everyone next year! Sincerely, Sourdough Sam 49ers Kids Club
For more updates on Sourdough Sam and the 49ers, follow him on Facebook! Top: The 49ers Academy performs during the pregame festivities. Center: Sourdough poses with Snoopy and friends, visiting from Great America theme park Left: Sourdough takes a ride outside 49ers HQ
1. Entries must be designed by a 49ers Kids Club member. 2. Limit one entry per member. 3. Scan and email entries to 49erskidsclub@niners.nfl.com with Playbook Contest in the subject line. 4. Or, mail a hard copy to: 49ers Kids Club Playbook Contest at 4949 Centennial Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95054. Please photocopy entries; originals will not be returned. 5. All entries must be received by May 31st to be eligible.
April 19, 2012 will go down as one of the most significant dates in the illustrious history of the San Francisco 49ers and in Bay Area sports lore as we know it. The franchise rolled out a large red carpet to celebrate co-chairs Dr. John and Denise DeBartolo York along with their son, CEO Jed York, and Santa Clara city officials digging gold shovels into a mound of red dirt to signify the franchise breaking ground on a new Santa Clara Stadium site. At the exact spot of the stadium s 50-yard line, the York family and city officials broke ground on the stadium site officially bringing the 49ers to the South Bay for their new home on Sundays. I think it s a testament to everybody that s worked on this project, said York. It s a statement that this is the first professional football stadium to be built in California in over 50 years. The joyous groundbreaking ceremony for one of the world s soon-to-be premier entertainment venues was an opportunity for the team to formally celebrate nearly two decades of diligent work to get the stadium project off the ground, literally. But it doesn t change the identity of the proud franchise. We ll always be the San Francisco 49ers, York declared at the end of the hour-long ceremony that featured numerous guest speakers, including head coach Jim Harbaugh and team leaders Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis. In addition to team ownership, 49ers front office members, coaches and players were on hand to take in the festivities taking place across the street from the team s Santa Clara headquarters that were built in 1988. Also, Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews, former Mayor Patricia Mahan, Santa Clara City Council members, community leaders and stadium supporters took part in celebrating the milestone in 49ers history. I think it s a big achievement for the entire team, and like anything, nothing comes without hard work, Jed York said. Nothing comes without teamwork and that s how we do things. We do things as a team and we re going to celebrate this as a team.
Set to open in August of 2014, the new Santa Clara Stadium can officially begin construction work now that the shovels were placed in the ground for 1,500 guests to witness personally and the numerous Faithful viewing a live webcast on 49ers.com. The event welcomed its distinguished guests with a large red carpet, adjacent to a miniature turf football field complete with the exact 49ers logos painted on the team s playing field. Inside the gated walls, decorated with new stadium renderings, guests were able to see performances from the 49ers Gold Rush and Niner Noise drum line before memorable speeches from speakers on hand. After a presentation from Mayor Matthews, who thanked the numerous city council members and volunteers who made this day a reality, Willis and Davis were called up to the stage to share insight from a player s perspective. To be here with you all is truly a blessing, Willis said. We re going to make this thing tremendous when it s all said and done. Willis joked that he wanted to make the first tackle in the new stadium. Harbaugh was next to take the stage, giving a speech that rivaled one of his pre-game talks to his team. Attack this endeavor with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, Harbaugh went on to say. It s exciting to see that they re starting the process, now we have something to look forward to, Davis said. Something promising, something historic it s going to be amazing. You couldn t pick a better time to be a 49er. I m really looking forward to just starting something new, the All-Pro linebacker explained. Candlestick has so much tradition there and it will be missed, but to be able to start something new will be awesome. Located in Great America s overflow parking lot, across from the team s current Santa Clara headquarters, the 1.85-million square foot facility expects to host 68,500 at capacity on game days, with the potential to expand to up to 75,000. With groundbreaking now complete, the stadium is set to become a landmark for the Silicon Valley community while offering one of the most environmentallyfriendly and technologically-savvy experiences for fans of the 49ers and the National Football League. For two more seasons the 49ers will host games at Candlestick Park, the team s home for the past 43 years, prior to a 24-year run in San Francisco s Kezar Stadium. The team envisions the facility not only showcasing professional football, but has the capability to host numerous events such as soccer, motorsports, concerts, civic events and even Super Bowls.
This summer, stay active with the 49ers while learning football skills & drills! The youth football camp takes place at 49ers Headquarters in Santa Clara, CA. The 49ers conduct a three-day camp during the summer designed to teach the fundamentals of football. Boys and girls, ages 7-14 are eligible for participation. This non-contact camp is designed to improve a child's beginning, intermediate or advanced skill level. Fundamentals of all positions on offense and defense are taught in addition to life skills such as respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, teamwork, and the importance of education. Participants are grouped based on age and skill level. For more information & registration, visit: 49ers.com/YouthFootball Follow us on Facebook Facebook.com/49ersYouthFootball
Hometown: San Jose, CA What did you want to be when you grew up? A teacher. I love working with children! How long have you been working here? I am heading into my third season. What do you do for the 49ers? As an Executive Administrative Assistant (E.A. for short), I help assist the executive with whom I work, and I schedule meetings and organize calendars and events. This job requires me to be a jack of all trades, so I balance tasks while serving as a liaison between other departments within the 49ers. What did you study in school? Child and Adolescent Development was my major in college. How did that help you get this job? While what I studied is not related to my current workload, it showed me the importance of successful multi-tasking. In the classroom I had to manage 30 children, stay on my feet, and be prepared for any situation. That translated over to my current job where projects come without notice, and there s a lot of different tasks to manage at once. What s your favorite part about working for the 49ers? The people here! I could do this job anywhere, but the people are talented, intelligent, and are passionate about the team. It is a lot more fun working with happy people! What advice would you give someone who wants to work in sports? Have a good work ethic. Do you have any funny experiences with a 49ers player? I used to sit at the front desk, and one time I heard Bob Costas voice (an iconic sports newscaster) and thought, Wow, that sounds like Bob Costas. If I was anywhere else, it would have been just a passing thought. Instead, I looked up, and saw Bob and Al Michaels (another famous TV personality) standing in front of me, waiting for a meeting. We have a lot of special guests that pass through these doors and it s a pleasure to work with many of them! And lastly: Although I don t work within every department, as an E.A. I interact with many different people across the organization, which makes my job more enjoyable and dynamic. It s great to see everyone come together to form such a great team.