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Donte Whitner talks his three years with the 49ers, Jim Harbaugh’s departure, and the evolution of the NFL

Matt Maiocco’s podcasts never rest, even in the slow parts of the offseason. He had former 49ers safety Donte Whitner as his latest guest and the two took a stroll down memory lane.

Whitner was a fantastic safety during his time with the 49ers, laying wood wherever he went (which led to him nearly changing his last name to “Hitner”) and letting any receiver who did catch the ball pay dearly for it. With Jim Harbaugh taking control of the 49ers the same year Whitner signed with the team, Whitner is credited to a lot of the success of then-49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio—and Harbaugh’s by extension—defense.