SANTA CLARA — It was Deommodore Lenoir’s twelfth birthday, and his youth soccer teammates had been scheming a preadolescent ceremony of passage.
Traveon Anderson, nonetheless one in all Lenoir’s closest mates, recalled a “boys will be boys” plan that may lead to Lenoir getting hit on the arm a dozen occasions. One for every year.
“At that age, everyone wants to get their licks in,” Anderson mentioned in a latest cellphone interview. “We tried to catch him, but he ran and jumped over a gate and was gone. He was so fast it was like, ‘Man, forget it. We ain’t catching him.’”
Velocity. Athleticism. Frequent sense. Three qualities amongst many that may finally catapult Lenoir to highschool stardom in South Los Angeles, the College of Oregon and finally to the 49ers.
In a largely forgettable 6-8 season, Lenoir is taken into account a part of the answer in a season rife with issues by advantage of a five-year contract extension value as much as $92 million signed on Nov. 13. At 5-foot-10 and 200 kilos, Lenoir isn’t the lengthy, lean prototype cornerback that will get snapped up within the first spherical.
When Lenoir was drafted within the fifth spherical in 2021 at No. 172 general, 22 cornerbacks went earlier than him — and that features Ambry Thomas, whom the 49ers took within the third spherical at No. 102.
But Lenoir, 25, is the uncommon nook who may be sticky in protection on the skin and seamlessly transfer inside to hunt with linemen, linebackers and safeties with the relentlessness befitting his nickname of “Hyena.” In keeping with Professional Soccer Reference, Lenoir has performed 491 snaps within the slot, 126 outdoors and with 51 snaps coming at or close to the road of scrimmage.
“I’d rather just say I’m a football player,” Lenoir mentioned in a latest unique interview. “I can fit in wherever is needed.”
No matter adjustments the 49ers make this offseason, Lenoir is a foundational piece. Whereas Lenoir’s consolation zone on the 49ers protection is nearly wherever they line him up, coach Kyle Shanahan threw Lenoir a curveball going into their Week 14 recreation towards the Chicago Bears.
Aggressive and tenacious by nature on the sphere, Lenoir off the sphere is extra quiet and reserved. Which is why a FaceTime message from Shanahan the Friday earlier than the sport was extra daunting than going through any of the Bears receivers.
“He told me we’ve got one of the grittiest games coming up and when I think of the grittiest players, you’re one of them,” Lenoir mentioned. “So I want you to say something to the team. In my head, I’m already saying, ‘No.’ But I can’t tell the head man that. I can’t tell him no.”
Lenoir spoke from the center the evening earlier than the sport and obtained by means of it.
Center linebacker Fred Warner has addressed the workforce pretty recurrently and describes the sensation of everybody wanting on the speaker as intimidating.
“But Demo, man, he’s earned that right. It doesn’t matter what he was going to say, because everyone has so much respect for who he is and how he plays the game,” Warner mentioned.
Lenoir has two interceptions, eight cross breakups, a pressured fumble and 72 tackles together with two for losses. With Nick Bosa (hip, indirect) and Warner (ankle) battling accidents, the case may be made Lenoir has been the 49ers’ greatest defensive participant.
The ninth of 12 youngsters of a building employee and a work-at-home mom (his father additionally has 9 youngsters from a earlier relationship), Lenoir was raised to respect training and to try to be his greatest.
By the point he obtained to Salesian Excessive-Los Angeles, Lenoir rapidly turned one of many state’s high abilities. As a senior, he carried the ball 108 occasions for 1,172 yards and 17 touchdowns, had 663 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns and handed for 595 yards as a quarterback. He additionally performed protection, made 52 tackles with an interception and two pressured fumbles.
His dedication stage was clear to Anderson after a Madden online game marathon that didn’t finish till 3 a.m.
“We had a beach football camp at 6 the next morning,” Anderson mentioned. “Demo was the only one who went. And then he went to another practice after that.”
Certainly one of his coaches at Salesian, Devah Thomas, described Lenoir as a product of his household and atmosphere.
“He’s always been humble and hard working, an over-achiever,” Thomas mentioned. “He loves proving people wrong and he’s determined to be great.”
Deommodore Lenoir does a celebratory backflip after the 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-24 on Oct. 27. Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group
Thomas, now the top coach at St. Pius X St. Matthias Academy, is shut mates with Richard Sherman, the previous Seahawks and 49ers cornerback who works as an analyst for Prime Community.
“Devah was like, ‘This is my guy. This is the one. This is the one that’s going to make it big,’” Sherman mentioned on the 49ers’ Thursday evening loss to the L.A. Rams. “I went to Salesian to speak to the team and talked with Deommodore. He was inquisitive, asking all the right questions, and had a lot of hunger. The same things that make him special today.”
At Oregon, Lenoir began his closing 34 video games, together with seven as a senior in a COVID-shortened season and was named second-team All-Pac-12.
Going from a full home in buzzy Los Angeles to the solitude of Oregon was initially a tradition shock, one thing Anderson realized on his first go to to Lenoir’s dorm.
“L.A. is such a big, fast, noisy city,” Anderson mentioned. “Helicopters, sirens, cars all day, airplanes all day. When you go to Oregon it’s peaceful. It threw me for a loop.”
Deommodore Lenoir talks with reporters after a latest 49ers apply session. Dai Sugano/Bay Space Information Group
Lenoir thought of the transfer very important to his maturity in addition to his future.
“My mom didn’t want me around all the gangs and stuff, and going to Oregon taught me how to be a man because I had to take care of myself,” Lenoir mentioned.
Lenoir has added accountability within the type of a 3-year-old son named Titan, and has had his perspective formed by a 10-year-old sister with Down syndrome named Cleyan.
“She’s a big inspiration,” Lenoir mentioned. “It’s made me more protective, you might say.”
Hopeful of being a Day 2 choice within the NFL Draft, Lenoir’s draft celebration was disappointment when it lasted into Day 3. (Coincidentally, Sherman was additionally a fifth-round decide who left Los Angeles to play at Stanford.)
Anderson mentioned he and Lenoir reminisced in regards to the snub “when he signed the 92,” a reference to his $92 million extension.
“He cried in my arms and said, ‘What if I don’t get drafted? What am I going to do now?’” Anderson mentioned. “I told him don’t think about it, it’s all going to play out in your favor.”
Whereas Lenoir ran from his 12-year-old birthday pummeling and was a reluctant workforce speaker, he performs with an edge on the sphere and gained’t again down from a problem akin to enjoying each inside and outside.
“I look at it like I’m just different,” Lenoir mentioned. “I’d rather be in the hard situation every time and never take the easy way out. If I’m going to play two positions, then I’m going to do it at a high level.”
Feisty and combative on the sphere, Sherman describes Lenoir’s “dog” mentality in canine phrases.
“You never have to tell Deommodore to sic ’em because that’s just how he is,” Sherman mentioned. He’s going to provide you every little thing he’s obtained and also you’re going to have to tug him off the sphere. I like that about him.”
Lenoir is a movie junkie who research cornerbacks previous (Sherman, Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey) and current (Patrick Surtain Jr., Treyvon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore). When Anderson and a few mates visited not too long ago earlier than the 49ers performed Seattle, they obtained a first-hand have a look at how Lenoir prepares.
“We’re all vibing, chopping it up, having a good time, and he’s on the couch with his head in his iPad,” Anderson mentioned. “He loves football. I think he’d play for free.”
