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Player Feature: Raheem Mostert

His last name is pronounced MOZE-tert.

Winner of the Perry/Yonamine Award in 2018. The Perry/Yonamine Award is presented to the 49ers player who exhibits an exceptional commitment to promoting unity within the team and in their community. The Perry/Yonamine Unity Award is named for the former 49ers players and pioneers of unity and diversity, Joe "The Jet" Perry and Wally Yonamine, and is voted on by the players.

RB Raheem Mostert

Mostert met his wife, Devon, in college, as the two both attended Purdue University from 2011-14. Devon was an athlete herself, playing on the Boilermakers soccer team.

A native of New Smyrna Beach, FL, Mostert enjoys saltwater and freshwater fishing in his free time.

RB Raheem Mostert

Growing up in Smyrna Beach, known as the "shark-bite capital of the world," Mostert often surfed in the Atlantic Ocean. "We would go out there and surf and they'd bite on people. They were usually just small sharks. But they'd mistake us for food," said Mostert.

Read more about Raheem Mostert by clicking his bio below.

Coach's Corner: John Benton

This month's "Coach's Corner" comes from Offensive Line Coach, John Benton.

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How would you describe your coaching style?

"I feel like it's easier to say what I'm not. I'm not the classic caricature of a coach. I'm not really a loud, yell and scream guy but I feel like I'm pretty demanding and cerebral. I focus a lot on details and technique. I'm more of the teacher style."

What type of mindset does a great offensive lineman need in order to be successful?

"You can't be out of control, but you need to be able to play on the edge of the control while you're thinking and making decisions. We like to look for guys who are quick thinkers, but explosive and physical at the same time. Sometimes you'll have guys who think too much and it slows them down. It's all about having a controlled intensity. You've got to maintain your intelligence and your quick thinking but also have intensity. Another thing that comes up with a lineman is consistency. Consistency matters so much for all positions, but especially for a lineman."

How do you personally like to motivate your players?

"For me, it's about constantly demanding their best. Just because I don't yell and scream doesn't mean that I'm not incredibly critical. One thing I learned a long time ago from a coach I really admire is, you have to show them they're doing it right too. So when you call them out for their mistakes and errors, you also need to overemphasize when they do it very well. I think that can be motivating as well. There are lots of little techniques to motivate players and at this level, the players are really motivated themselves. It's quite a bit different than coaching in college, as I did for several years where you had to be the motivator and there was a lot more yelling and screaming going on there."

Offensive Line Coach John Benton

How important is the center position to Coach Shanahan's system?

"I've been in this system now for most of my coaching career and as far as the run game goes, the center is where you start. He's the cog in the wheel both from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint that gets the run game started. It's as simple as if the center can consistently reach a shade, you can have a good outside zone run scheme. If he can't, you won't. So that's incredibly important from a physical standpoint and then the mental standpoint, he's really the captain of the blocking scheme. He's who gets us all started and gets his target run and pass. He's got to be smart as a whip, a quick thinker and be very direct."

How fortunate has the organization been to go from a potential Hall of Fame player in Joe Staley to another in Trent Williams at left tackle?

"Incredibly fortunate is what I would say. It really is amazing. Both of those guys are excellent shutdown tackles at the top of their game. In the league, you see a lot of good tackles who are great pass protectors and mediocre run game players, but Joe and Trent are so exceptional in both areas. What I will say and this is not true of all Hall of Fame type players, is they both make the entire group better with their attitude and their leadership. That's something we've really benefited from and will continue to benefit from. I've been around a couple of guys that were incredibly good at their job, but big picture I'm not sure they helped the whole group as much as Joe and Trent."

Can you describe how unique Daniel Brunskill's versatility is as an athlete on the O-Line?

He's really a unique player in that no one knew about him, I mean we certainly didn't. He came out of the AAF and maybe to our fault we discounted him a little bit as a practice squad, make the team type guy. What we quickly saw in him was first off his intelligence and then his toughness and commitment. All things I said make a great offensive lineman, that is Dan in a nutshell. He has overcome what physical limitations he has with technique and intelligence allowing him to be able to play all those positions. The situations that he was put in last year as a substitute where he exceeded all expectations every time. And this year, he has continued to do that as a starter. It's hard to say if I've ever been more impressed with a self-made player more than Dan."

To read more about Coach Benton, click the bio below.

WON of Us: Mia

Mia Burnham, a fan learning the game in the early 80's, loves connecting with women of mutual interests through WON.

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Faithful Since…

When I moved to the San Jose area from the Salinas Valley in the early 80's is when I would say my fandom really took off. I had moved to the area in my early 20's and in the fall, all of my friends were always gathering to watch football. You were either an Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders or San Francisco 49ers fan. So if you look at the options of most fans in the Bay Area and then combine it with the timing, how could anyone not become a 49ers fan as the Golden Era of the 49ers was taking off? That's when my fandom started and I've stayed Faithful ever since.

What do you love about WON?

I love the events! I love that people at the events have the opportunity to bond over 49ers football, but what is really unique is being able to create connections with folks outside of WON. So many of us have connected through social media and we've learned that through this small world, we have additional mutual friends and other interests beyond football. Overall, WON is a great way to meet and continue lifelong friendships.

Was there one inspirational moment in team history that confirmed your 49ers fandom?

The Catch from Joe Montana to Dwight Clark to win the NFC Championship over the Dallas Cowboys! I can remember that moment like it was yesterday. It was shortly after I had moved to the San Jose area and we had been invited to a Barbeque in Santa Clara to watch the game. At the time we didn't know that it would be such a memorialized moment and would usher in two decades of football dominance, but the energy at the party when that play happened was incredible.

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What 49ers tradition or superstition do you/your family have?

On gamedays, I have to wear my Niners gear! It's important to be wearing red and gold and representing the team whether or not I'm at the game. To me, in my heart, it makes a difference for the players on the field to be wearing the gear home or away.

What impact has the 49ers had on your life?

The 49ers have created something for my family and friends to consistently look forward to. We are always looking for something that can bring us all together and the 49ers have been that in our lives. When there is an upcoming game, we are always excited to have a reason to get together and we start planning right away. "Who's hosting? What are we eating? Who's bringing what?" Life can be so busy and 49ers football is something that everyone wants to be a part of and it really brings joy to my life.

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If you know a WON Member that you think should be featured, you can let us know.

Community Connection:

The 49ers partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide milk donated by Clover and turkey roasts donated by players, coaches and their families. Front office staff then distributed the Thanksgiving staples, along with weekly groceries, to over 700 families in need.

To kick off the season of giving, the 49ers partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) to provide Thanksgiving staples for over 700 families affected by food insecurity. The team donated milk provided by Clover and Thanksgiving turkey roasts purchased, in part, utilizing funds donated by Ownership, players, coaches, and their families including QB Jimmy Garoppolo. 49ers staff volunteered at the SHFB Mission College Emergency Drive-Through Distribution Site to distribute weekly groceries along with the Thanksgiving items. Before the pandemic, SHFB was serving 250,000 people each month and has now increased to serving 500,000 people per month. To learn more about how you can support, visit shfb.org.

Keep up with the 49ers in the community throughout the season via Twitter @49ersCommunity and #49ersGiveBack

This Month in 49ers History

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December 1, 1985

Linebacker Keena Turner picked up a Washington Redskins fumble and raced 65-yards to register the only touchdown of his illustrious NFL career as the 49ers whipped Washington 35-8 at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium. San Francisco selected Turner in the second round of the 1980 draft and the former Purdue star became an instrumental part of four Super Bowl championship teams. During the 1984 Super Bowl season, he intercepted four passes, tying Ronnie Lott for the team lead, and earned a Pro Bowl berth.

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