Every year, a 49ers player who best exemplifies late Dwight Clark's spirit of teamwork and camaraderie is honored with the Dwight Clark Award. As part of the legacy series, 49ers' defender Deommodore Lenoir was presented with the award this season. During the presentation, last year's winner, star tight end George Kittle, gave a speech about his teammate. There, he recounted a funny mistake from Lenoir's rookie season that cost Kyle Shanahan in a big way.
NBC Sports Bay Area's Joaquin Ruiz reported from the event in San Jose. He shared the details of Kittle's speech, which told the story of how the overly eager Lenoir shared a video of his tackle during rookie minicamp on his social media account. Unfortunately, it was a no-contact practice, and making the violation public earned the 49ers' head coach a hefty $100,000 fine.
"I called Coach Shanahan on my drive over and asked him, and he gave me two stories. One was he’s always loved how DMo plays football and how aggressive he is. He really remembered the time in rookie minicamp when DMo jammed a guy at the line of scrimmage, and you’re not supposed to put hands on each other. And he (Lenoir) posted a video about it and got Kyle fined $100,000. "George Kittle
As funny a story as this is, it also highlights how Lenoir managed to become a fan favorite in San Francisco. His aggressiveness, intensity, and physicality have made him one of the best cornerbacks in the league, earning him a five-year, $88.8 million contract extension last season.
Lenoir started 15 games for the 49ers last season, registering two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and 85 tackles, while only allowing a 72.6 passer rating when targeted. He will once again be relied upon if the 49ers defense will once again be an elite unit next season.