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49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir Aspires to be Like Charles Woodson

There are no better players for Deommodore Lenoir to aspire to than Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson.

Jose Luis Sanchez III

Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) is introduced before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) is introduced before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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Drawing inspiration is always a powerful tool.

It's prevalent among NFL players and coaches, especially for 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. On Monday during exit interviews, Lenoir revealed that he aspires to be like Hall of Fame defensive back Charles Woodson. It was thanks to a question asked by fellow teammate safety Ji'Ayir Brown.

"I'm going to be All-Pro at corner," said Lenoir. "But my goal, I'm trying to be on some Hall of Fame, trying to be like Charles Woodson. I wanna be an All-Pro at nickel, All-Pro at corner, and hopefully, I get an All-Pro at safety too. That's the goal. That's the ultimate goal."

There is no better player for Lenoir to draw inspiration from. Woodson was the ultimate defensive back in his career. He played at an incredible level at every position in the secondary, which is why he's labeled as a "defensive back" since he can play in any spot there.

That is the trajectory Lenoir is on now. He can play both as an outside corner or in the slot as a nickel at a high level. His versatility is amazing to play strong in coverage as well as an adequate run defender like Woodson was.

I'm sure the 49ers loved hearing that from Lenoir and hope he can get anywhere close to Woodson's legendary level. It will be tough for Lenoir and he still has a ways to go, but as of now, it isn't a far-fetched idea. His head is at least in the right spot for where he wants to get to in his career.

That is the kind of player any team would love to have, which only makes the 49ers' decision to extend Lenoir look better.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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