49ers rookie Puni awaits ‘unbelievable' chance to play with Williams
49ers rookie Puni awaits ‘unbelievable' chance to play with Williams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Dominick Puni is set to officially become 49ers teammates with a player who heavily influenced his journey to the NFL.
The 24-year-old guard, who was selected No. 86 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the 49ers, has been a big admirer of San Francisco’s All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams for a major part of his playing career.
Now, as Puni gets ready to integrate himself into San Francisco's offensive line, the lineman spoke to Kay Adams on the “Up & Adams Show” on Wednesday and discussed what it means to be sharing the field and locker room with an idol.
“It’s really unbelievable,” Puni told Adams. “The first thing, like my Kansas O-line teammates, they hit me up, they’re like, ‘Bro, you’re about to play with Trent Williams. You understand that?’
“I was like, ‘Yeah.’ ”
Before transferring to Kansas, Puni began his college career in 2018 at Central Missouri as a right tackle. Now, he prepares to line up side by side with a player he considers to be one of the best ever.
“It’s crazy, but in the NFL, everybody is good and then there are guys who are just better than good,” Puni added. “Then there’s guys that are better than that.
“Obviously, I think he’s up there in that echelon of one of the greatest of all time. So, just the fact that I get to learn from him, watch him work, just see his habits, it’s going to be pretty cool.”
Adams asked if Puni was willing to ask Williams about having to go up against Nick Bosa every day in practice.
“Oh yeah, I’m going to ask him everything,” Puni said. “Everything I can, I’m going to ask him.”
Adams then asked Puni how he plans on handling Bosa.
“I'm going to give him my all," Puni responded. "I’m going to try my best to block him. I got to block him. I have no choice.”
Puni, who featured as a left tackle for Kansas, is projected to compete for a prominent role in what was one of the top offenses in the NFL last season.
It only makes sense for a player who has mirrored his game off of Williams.
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