Fred Warner’s ascension as a three-time All-Pro inside linebacker coincides directly with his time spent with DeMeco Ryans.
Warner was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, when they promoted Ryans from defensive quality control coach to inside linebackers coach. Both men have been models of consistency and success since that point.
Ryans eventually became the Niners’ defensive coordinator and propelled into the Texans’ head coaching position last year. Meanwhile, Warner was just named to his second consecutive first-team All-Pro and his third since 2020.
Ahead of the Niners’ Super Bowl matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Warner talked about Ryans’ impact on both his game and life.
“I’m not the Fred Warner you see up here today without DeMeco Ryans,” Warner said. “He’s everything. He’s truly everything to my development as a player, as a man. I’m forever indebted to him. I’m not surprised by the way that they had the success they had in Houston because I knew he would build a culture right away. … They drafted a really talented quarterback who is going to be the leader of the future and I’m really happy for him.”