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PROVO — It’s been a whirlwind of a season for San Francisco second-year linebacker Fred Warner, who has played a key role in leading the 49ers to the franchise’s first 6-0 start since 1990.
The BYU product currently leads the team in tackles with 33, including two tackles for loss, and he’s quietly become a mainstay on one of the best defenses in the league — a defense that features stars like defensive back Richard Sherman and pass rusher Nick Bosa, to say nothing of linebacker Kwon Alexander and tackle DeForest Buckner.
“Overall, I think the whole team is just playing together really well,” Warner told KSL.com leading up to Sunday’s home game against Carolina (4-2). “We added a few pieces (to the defense) in the offseason, and I feel like we are just clicking really well. We’re physical, and working in unison with the front and the back end. Everything is working together really well.”
The 6-foot-3, 236-pound linebacker is at the heart of that defense and is often tasked with connecting the front seven with the back end — one that includes Sherman, arguably the best defensive back in recent NFL history since his days with Seattle’s “Legion of Boom.”
That defense — front to back — was on full display a few weeks ago when San Francisco held Jared Goff and the L.A. Rams to just 176 total yards, including 78 through the air.
And while Sherman, a Stanford product in his ninth year in the league, could have taken his fair share of credit for that feat, he deferred to several teammates — including the second-year starter from BYU.
“You don’t hold an offense like that to under 100 yards passing without playing outstanding football in the back end,” Sherman said after the win. “Ja’Quan (Gardner) and Fred have done a great job.”
Of course, Sherman makes his job a little easier, Warner admitted — both on the field and off it. The two arrived in San Francisco at the same time — Sherman via a three-year, $39 million contract after being cut by the Seahawks, and Warner as a third-round draft pick that capped a meaningful day of trades for the organization.
The two have bonded in the locker room, over football, academics and a love of video games (the duo are fans of the same game, Call of Duty, but have never connected in the same match), and the two can often be found at practice sharing tips and tricks to do their job — with Warner doing a lot of listening, he said.
“He’s a tremendous leader,” the San Marcos, California, native said of Sherman. “And having him on the defense with me gives me that much more confidence, so I can lean on him. He has so much experience in this league, has played at a high level, and he continues to do so.”
The duo was part of a cultural shift for Niners coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, a shift that is already paying off in year two of the build.
“We have a really good group of guys,” Warner said. “The culture that coach Shanahan and our GM John Lynch have created has led to our success so far.”
Warner is also at the heart of a new campaign by Activision to promote Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which debuts Oct. 25, a campaign that brought him to KSL.com. He’s a big Call of Duty fan, going back to the original Modern Warfare he says, and still plays the game regularly.
The NFL linebacker even uses the game as a way to stay connected with several former teammates, including younger brother Troy, who is on track to redshirt the 2019 season with injuries, and other former teammates like Chris Wilcox and Aleva Hifo.
Watching BYU is still "fresh" for Warner, who admits to getting a bit emotional watching the ups and downs of the Kalani Sitake era (that includes a big emotional boost during the Cougars’ 28-25 win over then-No. 14 Boise State this past week). He’s still connected to players on the team, still calls his little brother regularly, and still chats via Xbox Live over a game of CoD with Hifo and others.
Anything to take a breather from the grind of an NFL season, right? And as long as it’s working for the Niners, Warner will keep up with the video games.
“I think it’s just something that is fun to do outside of football,” he said. “It’s always good to have a hobby and to step away from football for a little bit. You always make sure you’re working hard, but it’s just something else I’m into.”
