SANTA CLARA — The primary reminiscence Craig Bergman has of Jake Haener was when Monte Vista Excessive was ending up soccer follow, with the native youth league taking the sector.
“They’d be approaching to begin after we have been completed,” Bergman mentioned in a current cellphone interview. “He’d at all times say, ‘Coach! Watch me throw!’ and I’d watch this little tiny man, a sixth or seventh grader. And man, he might throw it even again then.”
It’s not a stretch to recommend that the “little tiny man,” at 6-foot and 208 kilos, continues to be regarded that approach in NFL circles and has been striving to show himself ever since.
Haener, a Fresno State product, believes he’ll be chosen between the third and fifth rounds of the NFL Draft, which begins in two weeks. He provided the next observations relating to his supposed limitations throughout a media scrum Wednesday after his follow on the 49ers’ native professional day:
— “I’ve been preventing the naysayers, the doubters, ceaselessly. I simply love proving folks mistaken. It’s a part of my DNA and that’s not going to vary.”
— “You don’t overlook these issues. You strive to not hearken to the opinions of the sheep down there saying you may’t do issues. Simply put your head on straight, put your head down and hold working.”
— “They don’t perceive what’s in (my coronary heart). I do know it’s a cliché, folks can have all traits on the planet. However I’m prepared to work for it and do every thing I can to get there. I really feel like I’ve bought some traits myself, so I need to put my head down and go to a spot that actually needs me.”
Haener, who set passing information at Monte Vista and threw for 9,128 yards, 68 touchdowns and 18 interceptions at Fresno State, is taking up all comers in relation to doubting his potential to be an NFL quarterback.
He doesn’t have the perfect height-weight-speed prototype. Nor does Haener have a bazooka for an arm. Nonetheless, getting the ball out on time, on the right track and with correct contact has by no means been an issue.
Haener got here of age within the Bay Space in Danville, however he’s bought some comparability fatigue in relation to Brock Purdy, the 49ers’ rookie of comparable stature who was a revelation as Mr. Irrelevant, the ultimate decide within the 2022 NFL Draft within the seventh spherical.
“Brock’s completely different, I’m completely different,” Haener mentioned. “There are various things we do in our video games. Shoot, I’m even older than Brock. Brock did a variety of actually good issues and I’m tremendous blissful for him and his household, however on the identical time, I’m alone mission, my very own prepare, and attempting to do one thing for a franchise that believes in me.”
Haener, 24, succeeded at Monte Vista with a grinding work ethic that got here as a minimum of a light shock to his coaches on condition that he got here from a privileged background.
He grew up a three-wood from Monte Vista and the Diablo Valley Membership. Haener’s father Ryan constructed a profitable medical provide enterprise and his mom Julie is a longtime information anchor at KTVU.
Chris Babcock, a former Monte Vista coach with Bergman who does game-day statistics on 49ers radio broadcasts, needles Haener, telling him he’s “nation membership robust.”
It’s a delicate however pleasant jab, poking enjoyable at his lucky upbringing whereas on the identical time designed to level out Haener’s gritty, assured aspect.
Haener’s toughness just isn't in query. In 2021, he fought by means of an indirect damage in a 40-37 come-from-behind win over UCLA in 2021, wincing on each throw earlier than a nationwide tv viewers. Final season, he missed simply three video games after a extreme excessive ankle sprain and led Fresno State to a Mountain West title.
He might have shut it down and ready for the draft. Haener mentioned he was suggested that was the best factor to do.
“They informed me 10 to 12 weeks and surgical procedure,” Haener mentioned. “That didn't resonate with me.”
What adopted was a Mountain West title, an MVP award within the Senior Bowl and a robust efficiency on the NFL scouting mix.
Scenes from #49ers native professional day (good-neighbor day) embody QBs Jake Haener (Fresno State) and Tanner McKee (Stanford), plus John Lynch addressing the 40-prospect crew & Frank Gore watching on the aspect pic.twitter.com/S8ndCAreUv
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) April 12, 2023
Haener factors to his dad and mom as causes for persevering when he might have simply accepted a extra leisurely path.
“My dad didn’t come from lots. He grew up in Fresno, a middle-class household,” Haener mentioned. “They did rather well for him rising up. Each of my dad and mom labored extraordinarily exhausting to offer for me and my brother. I didn’t need to experience the coattails of their final title. I needed to make my very own title and do every thing the best approach, present folks how constant I might be as a frontrunner and an individual.”
Throughout a time when over-the-top parental affect upon highschool coaches is routine, Bergman, who stepped down after the 2016 season, by no means heard a peep out of the Haeners.
“Ryan had watched our program all alongside,” Bergman mentioned. “He knew we had a fantastic system for him and by no means as soon as would his household ever interject something. They have been there simply to be constructive and supportive no matter what occurred.”
Haener just isn't solely fluent within the X’s and O’s of soccer, he relishes each second of their dialogue. Babcock just lately quizzed Haener a couple of routine play and rapidly realized he was in over his head when it comes to specifics.
“I requested him a couple of shallow cross, and about midway by means of his reply, I assumed, ‘Nicely, I’ll by no means try this once more,’ ” Babcock mentioned.
In a current NFL Community phase with analyst and former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci, Haener was entrance and heart, clearly having fun with the prospect to get at a whiteboard to indicate his play-design chops.
“It’s not day-after-day you get to study from a few of these folks that coach and train soccer, after which be capable of present them my stuff and the way I used to be taught,” Haener mentioned. “I used to be taught safety, taught protection, taught ideas. I simply love speaking about it.”
Bergman believes Haener is approach forward of the curve when it comes to understanding how an offense works. Haener mentioned he was informed he scored within the 97th percentile on a check that groups use as a barometer for decision-making below stress.
“Most scouts and groups would inform you he’s miles forward of everyone when it comes to recognizing defenses and the best way to name specific protections and the stuff it's important to do on the NFL degree,” Bergman mentioned. “He’s way more superior than most.”
Haener has watched carefully as Drew Brees and Russell Wilson, each supposedly undersized, excelled within the NFL. He is aware of that Alabama quarterback Bryce Younger, who stands out as the No. 1 decide, is a shade below 6-foot.
Greg Cosell, a longtime NFL Movies analyst, famous the historical past of shorter quarterbacks not succeeding within the NFL however mentioned on the Ross Tucker Podcast the tide might be turning.
“We’ve accepted that quarterbacks generally is a little shorter,” Cosell mentioned. “We’re going to search out out with a variety of groups this yr. I really like Jake Haener. He's bodily and mentally quick-twitch, he’s bought a fantastic sense of timing and rhythm. It exhibits up each single recreation, and he’s as robust as nails.”
Chip Kelly, who coached within the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and 49ers, had this to say after Haener performed by means of a painful damage and threw for 455 yards to beat his UCLA staff in 2021.
“We threw every thing at him. We blitzed him, performed cowl zero, rushed three and dropped everybody else again into protection,” Kelly mentioned. “I feel we threw the complete kitchen sink at him and he dealt with every thing.”
All Haener needs is an opportunity. He’ll put his passing abilities up in opposition to anybody.
“I feel wherever I get drafted, I’ll get an opportunity and if I spin the ball the way in which I feel I can there isn’t any cause I can’t succeed,” Haener mentioned.
As as to whether Haener is tall sufficient, simply ask him.