San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Javon Hargrave is ready for a fight come Sunday’s game against the Black and Gold.
The former third-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers told San Francisco reporters on Friday that he is expecting a motivated Mike Tomlin-led team to show up to Acrisure Stadium.
“I know he motivating [the players] like crazy,” Hargrave said of Tomlin. “I just laugh with, teammate like last week, Cam Heyward… ’cause I know how he, come in meetings and I know that he going to have them boys ready.”
Tomlin is known throughout the league for his leadership and ability to motivate his team. It’s largely the reason for him never having a losing record since becoming the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, even overcoming a 2-6 start last season.
Tomlin’s influence left an imprint on Hargrave as a rookie and into the early parts of his career.
“I think that’s how I learned about the league,” Hargrave said. “He run a good program over there, so he just taught me a lot and just, you know, got my mindset ready for how the NFL is.”
“Gravedigger” gained more notoriety in recent years since departing the Steelers in favor of the Philadelphia Eagles, but his impact on the team was just as important.
Primarily used as a nose tackle with Pittsburgh, Hargrave provided the team perhaps its best option at the position since Casey Hampton. Through four seasons with the team, he racked up 14.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss. He, along with Heyward and Stephon Tuitt, gave the Steelers one of the most feared defensive fronts in the NFL from 2016-2019.
Unfortunately, when time came for Hargrave to be paid, Pittsburgh’s pockets were tied to other places, leading to him taking the cross-state drive to the Eagles where he earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
However, his allegiance to the Steelers still holds strong as he told Heyward on the Not Just Football podcast, choosing to sign with the 49ers over the Cleveland Browns.
“I think it was being a Pittsburgh fan back in the day,” a smiling Hargrave said. “I said, ‘I can’t be hated like that.’”
Notably this offseason Hargrave put pen to paper, signing a 4-year, $81 million deal with the 49ers.
So, despite having to face him this season, Steelers fans should breathe a sigh of relief that he won’t be in the backfield twice a year.
