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Austin Clark – December 1, 2022 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 1, 2022

Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark

(Looking forward to a return to the Bay Area for you?) – “Oh yeah, love the Bay Area. Go Bears. Who got the (Stanford) Axe? (laughter)”

(It was a small sample, but what did you see from DT Justin Zimmer in his first appearance?) – “I think he plays hard. Quick twitch. Good lateral agility. Ran to the football. Lined and assigned properly. Which you know on a short week there, coming in Tuesday, I thought he did a great job and we’re thrilled to have him.”

(I thought DT Raekwon Davis had a nice impact on that two-point conversion run attempt, if I saw it right. How do you think he’s sort of doing in general? He’s so darn big that you almost wonder sometimes, “gosh, could he even be more impactful?” How’s he doing?) – “I think ‘Rae’ (Raekwon Davis) is doing good. I think week to week, the roles can differentiate for him and he was dinged up a little bit early in the year and I think he’s come on strong and it’s helped us in the run (game). Sometimes statistically, his impact, you may not see it in terms of number of tackles or whatever you guys are looking at, but I would say that he’s definitely getting better and this will be a big challenge for us this week against a really good front.”

(Obviously you don’t just replace a guy like DE Emmanuel Ogbah, but what have been some of the keys for your group and trying to do so?) – “Yeah, I think it’s defensively how we’re playing that week and it’ll be different guys in different roles to necessarily replace that role, whether who that is on early down and what fronts we’re playing on third down and stuff like that. I’m sick for (Emmanuel) Ogbah the way that happened because I’ll be honest with you guys, he had his best week of practice. He was finally healthy and what he brings to the group from a leadership standpoint and a veteran presence and playing in big games and in the division, that to me, is also a big deal as opposed to just his play. He had a similar injury and rebounded when he came down to Miami so we’re excited for him to get back when that is and go through the rehab process.”

(We’ve seen LB Jaelan Phillips move inside and rush the passer pretty well. What makes him so able to line up across from interior linemen and also still get pressure?) – “I think for him it’s understanding the spacing when he’s outside versus inside, and he’s a great athlete. Great hands, good get off. He can stress a guy’s edge. He can run the games and his comfortability in the scheme – a very, very smart player to be able to do all the things we ask him to do and he did a great job Sunday. I’m looking forward to this week for him.”

(What makes 49ers T Trent Williams so great?) – “A lot of different things. I would say his feet for someone his size, is very, very impressive as well as being able to play with low pad level and generate movement on guys. He’s strong. Strong. His hands are very strong. Kind of a cerebral player. He does some stuff on the backside of plays that a lot of guys can’t do, wiping their hands down. He’s got a lot of hip grabs, vet moves. I think he understands the system that they do and he does it at a very high level so it’ll be a big challenge for us.”

(When we talk defense, we don’t mention DT Christian Wilkins. We probably ask about CB Byron Jones 10 times as many times. What do you see from Christian this season against the run, against the pass, off the field, the whole package?) – “Christian Wilkins is a total pro. I love working with the guy. I think the way he approaches his preparation is the best of anybody I’ve ever been around and I think football and succeeding in this game is very important to him. And he likes to have fun doing it. I know you guys see a lighter side, but there’s a side to him on the practice field, too, that the want to get it right, to not repeat errors. He’s been very disruptive and most importantly it’s his motor. Running to the football and his teammates, seeing the way he runs to the football, that’s important to him. And I think that’s a trait in him that he’s always had. That’s a credit to him and he’s gotten better each game and hopefully he can get better like he has each week on Sunday.”

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