YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Deebo Samuel initially felt “unreal” starting for the 49ers in Sunday’s season opener – and his NFL debut.
What followed were some positive plays that reinforced why coach Kyle Shanahan started him and why Samuel was the 36th overall draft pick.
Some negative plays, on the other hand, served as learning lessons and a reminder this was his rookie debut.
Through all that, Samuel earned more credibility with his accountability.
“You can be hard on him. He doesn’t make excuses,” Shanahan said. “He works at it. And he definitely takes accountability and doesn’t mind you calling him out in front of the team.