The Whisperer Remembers ... Eric Wright.

As the 1981 season started most expectations for the San Francisco 49ers were low and with good reason. The team was viewed as the perennial cellar dweller with last place finishes in the NFC West pretty much a given. After a 1980 season that saw them go 6-10, no one saw better coming … then came the 1981 draft … and this man.

 Coming out of the University of Missouri, he was viewed as a strong prospect and the 49ers pounced at the chance to select him with the 40^th pick in the 2^nd round. He arrived and immediately began showing the coaches and teammates just how good a decision management made in selecting him. He picked up the defenses, conducted traffic in the back four, and brought a sense of calm to the defense that permeates across the team. Whenever a big moment came, not only did he know how to meet it, but he also led the way and showed others how to defeat it.

He wasn’t the most decorated member of that defense or that secondary for that matter, but his presence was truly felt. With firm tackles, sticky coverage, and run support on par with any before or since, he was one of the catalysts that help propel the 49ers from the cellar to the championship. Whisperer Nation, rise to your feet and give a roof-rocking shout of applause for the incredible talents of former San Francisco 49er cornerback … Mr. Eric Wright.