What would you tell your younger self? Third-year 49ers linebacker Dee Winters knows his answer.
The San Francisco defender explained what he would tell his rookie self — during the 2023 NFL season — in an exclusive interview for NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Talk” podcast with Matt Maiocco.
“I would just tell myself to study as much as I possibly can,” Winters told Maiocco. “There’s things within the scheme … and to really hone in on my homework and the game plan or whatever it may be that week.
“And nutrition, for sure.”
You can’t forget the healthy eats.
Nonetheless, Winters would tell his younger self to be a better student of the game, which wouldn’t be a bad idea, as he didn’t play much behind 49ers icon Fred Warner and former San Francisco star Dre Greenlaw.
But Winters did do a lot of learning during the 49ers’ 12-5 run in 2023. Then, San Francisco reached Super Bowl LVIII, losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, giving Winters plenty to soak in for future reference.
“That whole year, I feel like for me, was just a learning process — how to play the linebacker position, what it’s supposed to look like,” Winters said. “And to get to the Super Bowl my rookie year, to have that experience underneath my belt coming into my first year, it shows what it takes to get there.
“And what we did was truly unbelievable, and I’m glad I got to experience that.”
Winters played just 60 snaps, mainly on special teams, during the 2023 season. He played 398 over 15 games — 10 starts — in 2024 alone as Greenlaw’s replacement and already is at 121 through two games in the 2025 season as Warner’s full-time running mate.
Clearly, the 24-year-old has made a major jump in a short period. But Winters seems to believe that he could be even better with stronger studying habits as a 49ers rookie.
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