SANTA CLARA — When defensive end Trevis Gipson originally traveled to the Bay Area for a workout in late July, he was in mourning.
His grandfather, Jimmie Lee Ross, had recently passed away at the age of 77. And Gipson missed the funeral in Dallas to attend a tryout with the 49ers on July 26.
“He showed me the game of football,” Gipson said of his grandfather. “I had my dad in my life. He’s my father. But my grandfather was another father figure, and he helped take care of me growing up.
“It’s an emotional subject, but I’m glad and appreciative that I did take that opportunity to come here because I knew he would have wanted me. I knew he would have wanted me to come here.”
Before the 49ers sent Gipson back home without a contract offer, he took a little time to enter the gates of nearby California’s Great America and enjoy the amusement park.
“I went to Great America and just, you know, tap back into my childhood a little bit,” Gipson told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I rode some roller coasters all by myself. But, honestly, I looked at this stadium, and I said, ‘Man, I don’t know what it is, but something’s telling me, I’ll be back.’”
His instincts were correct.
The 49ers called him two weeks later and offered him a spot on the team’s 90-man training camp roster. Although he was released before the start of the regular season, he found his way back to the 49ers’ practice squad.
The 49ers elevated Gipson for their Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday. On his first snap from scrimmage, Gipson helped bring an end to a Rams scoring threat in the second quarter.
Gipson broke through and recovered a fumble in 49ers territory after Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Blake Corum misconnected on a pitch to the right side.
“It was amazing,” Gipson said. “I just had to make sure I was prepared, make sure I stayed ready for the moment. I had no clue when my number would get called this season, and I was lucky enough to have a ball bounce towards us, towards our defense, and secure it.”
He got his chance on Thursday night due to injuries along the 49ers’ defensive line. Gipson played eight snaps on defense and six more on special teams. It remains to be seen how many more opportunities he will get to suit up this season, as he reverted back to the practice squad after the game.
Gipson, 28, is in his sixth NFL season with his fourth different team. He registered seven sacks in 2021, his second NFL season with the Chicago Bears. He was a fifth-round pick from Tulsa — the school that gave him his only Division I offer — in the 2020 NFL Draft.
After three seasons with the Bears, Gipson spent one year with Tennessee, signed with Jacksonville in March of 2024 and was traded to Seattle before the start of the season.
Gipson appeared in only five games last year with the Seahawks and went to injured reserve with an ankle injury that required three months of physical therapy.
He remained unsigned despite taking part in offseason workouts with Detroit, Cleveland and the New York Giants.
The 49ers signed him on Aug. 11, and his NFL rollercoaster ride took an upward turn.
“I’ve been fighting, scratching, clawing these last three years trying to show that I belong in this league and can have the kind of season I had in Chicago,” he said.
“There were a lot of dark days — just being transparent and honest. But I believed in myself. I believed in my faith, and I told myself I wasn’t going to give up.”
Gipson did not give up, and he ended up playing a role in the 49ers’ memorable victory against the Rams. The 49ers celebrated wildly after a fourth-down stop secured the 26-23 overtime victory at SoFi Stadium.
He immediately recalled the words of his late grandfather.
“He always said, ‘Enjoy the dance,'” Gipson said. “That’s what he called the NFL. You know, just enjoy the dance.”
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