The San Francisco 49ers made news late Thursday night, completing a stunning trade for former Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey has made history in the NFL as the only running back to have multiple seasons with 100-or-more receptions. In 2021, he became the fastest player in league history to reach 3,000 rushing yards and 3,000 receiving yards, doing so in 57 games.
Keep reading to learn more about San Francisco's newest running back:
McCaffrey's father, Ed, was drafted by the New York Giants in 1991 in the third round and played for the Giants for three seasons before doing stints with the 49ers and Denver Broncos, where he made the 1998 Pro Bowl.
McCaffrey's older brother, Max, played in the NFL for two seasons: one with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017 and another with the 49ers in 2018. Christian's younger brother, Dylan, played football at the University of Michigan before transferring to play quarterback for his dad at Northern Colorado. His youngest brother, Luke, also plays football as a wide receiver at Rice University.
In 2017, McCaffrey said that him and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan "go way back," and that Shanahan was actually the future running back's babysitter.
When Mike Shanahan coached Ed McCaffrey during their time together with the Broncos in the late 1990's, a young Kyle Shanahan would look after an even younger Christian McCaffrey.
"I probably left my sister to do it very quickly and moved on. His dad was my hero growing up," Shanahan said. "I was close with Ed and his wife Lisa – that's really why I wore 87 in college. Ed was the man. I knew all his sons, they were a lot younger when I knew them, but they've all turned out to be pretty good athletes and real good people."
Playing college football at Stanford University, McCaffrey had a breakout season in his sophomore year (2015).
The Stanford running back surpassed Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season record for all-purpose yardage in a Pac-12 Championship Game victory over the University of Southern California at Levi's® Stadium. McCaffrey currently holds the NCAA individual record for most all-purpose yards in a season (3,864) and most all-purpose plays in a season (434).
Including an AP All-Pro First Team honor, a Pro Bowl and the NFL Fantasy Player of the Year award, the former first-round pick has built an extensive list of accolades. Here is a list of McCaffrey's awards and honors:
Playing football isn't McCaffrey's only talent. In fact, the running back prides himself on being musically inclined.
"One of my big passions I do in the offseason, or just when I get off time in general, I love to play music," McCaffrey said. "I've been playing piano for a really long time now. When you talk about mental escapes, it's definitely something that is essential for me."
Some of McCaffrey's musical influences are Tyler Childers, Mac Miller, Drake, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Bob Marley.
