The San Francisco 49ers have offensive weapons Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk could be the X factor in Super Bowl 58. In the NFC Championship Game he delivered one of the most spectacular scenes of the season.
The most sought-after man after the tight football thriller between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions was Brandon Aiyuk.
Because the play of the day, no, of the playoffs, came from the 49ers wide receiver. There was no doubt about that. In the third quarter of the NFC Championship Game, quarterback Brock Purdy fired a long shot to his receiver – actually overthrown. But then something happened that has the makings of an instant classic.
The football flew through the hands of Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor, slammed into his facemask and then directly into the arms of Aiyuk, who grabbed it with a courageous jump. The monster catch was ready. 51 yards with 10:24 remaining. Shortly afterwards, thanks to Aiyuk, the Niners shortened from this position and initiated the comeback.
And who did Aiyuk thank after the game? Exactly, a ladybug.
Before the game, one of them landed on his shoes and we knew what that meant, he whispered meaningfully and laughed after the game. Exactly. Brings luck. A lot.
Brandon Aiyuk’s sensational catch helps the 49ers
Now Aiyuk received a lot of online honor and recognition for this sensational catch. And of course there was a lot of ladybug-generated luck involved. And still: you have to be there first to catch the ball. To the right place in the right place. So perhaps this scene reflects the condition and form of the 49ers receiver these days.
When he entered Rocklin (Calif.) Community College in 2016, there was no telling that he would one day play in the Super Bowl with All-Pro honors. Not at all.
That year, the US sports broadcaster “ESPN” put together a list of the “Top 300” high school players – Aiyuk was not there. The receiver had hardly been a big topic even in his own state at his high school, McQueen High in Nevada. A late bloomer.
But even then, Aiyuk’s work ethic was noticeable. Companions from high school days praise the unbridled will and ambition to keep getting better.
“He’s a guy who really followed the sport closely and had a real drive to be good,” the father of a friend and teammate of Brandon Aiyuk’s from those school days told the local press. “He always had the drive to be the best. He made a lot of big plays at McQueen.
Nevertheless, it was initially only enough for the community college in Rocklin. But Aiyuk continued to work on himself and his game, becoming a mix of athleticism, strength and speed. 91 kilograms distributed over 1.83 meters.
After two good years in Rocklin at Sierra College, football programs at major colleges lured him. Aiyuk decided on Arizona State, where he finally made his breakthrough in his fourth year of college in 2019.
Aiyuk started as a running back
He once started as a running back in his youth. Mainly because of its size.
“I was very small all my life,” Aiyuk once said. “When I started playing football, I was smaller than everyone else. But I was fast, so that was the only position I could play. That was the position I wanted to play. I liked LaDainian Tomlinson, so that was it I was No. 21. I was a little guy who ran around and played running back.”
After college, he ended up as a receiver in the first round of the draft in San Francisco – of all places, the 49ers, his great football love.
“My mom was a huge 49ers fan her whole life,” Aiyuk revealed. “So that influenced me when I was younger.”
When he received the news during the draft, he could hardly believe it. The childhood dream came true.
“A lot of people have been telling me all week that it would happen, so it’s crazy that it actually happened.”
He put up good numbers even as a rookie: In his first year in San Francisco, Aiyuk scored seven touchdowns, making him the third-most TDs by a 49ers rookie since 1970.
The 60 catches and 748 receiving yards also stood out for a rookie. It was the third-most receiving yards and second-most catches in the franchise.
In 2022 he broke the 1,000-yard mark for the first time. The best year of his career to date followed in 2023.
Over the regular season, he caught 1,342 yards (75 catches) and seven touchdowns, ranking seventh in the league and is finally in the top tier of receivers. It was a career-high for the 25-year-old, as was his 17.9 yards per reception, which is only bettered by Steelers receiver George Pickens. His only two drops are also the second best value in the league.
A man for long passes
Striking: Aiyuk mainly receives the long passes from Purdy. 1068 yards flew per 10+ air yards. Only star receiver Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) was better in this statistic. Aiyuk is a man for long things like in the championship game against Detroit.
He was elected to the Second Team All-Pro for his strong 2023 regular season. However, it wasn’t enough to make it to the Pro Bowl, which really annoyed him again.
“I was so happy for him,” said head coach Kyle Shanahan. “All-Pro is the real thing. I was so happy he got it because he definitely deserved both. But I think he’ll get it next year.”
He is more than satisfied with his protégé. “As for Brandon Aiyuk, he did an incredible job,” Shanahan said before the playoffs. “He played very well.”
In 2024, he finally scored his first touchdown in a playoff game. In this respect he still had something to make up for. In the last playoffs, Aiyuk finished with just 109 total yards, six catches and zero touchdowns. He was back in training a week after the loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Full of energy. With a goal in mind. Now he is very close to it.
Eight years after he wasn’t even ranked among the top 300 high schoolers, the 25-year-old will now be on the biggest stage in the world in the Super Bowl on Sunday. A big play from Aiyuk against the Kansas City Chiefs could lead to the title this time.
Maybe he doesn’t need a ladybug’s lucky miracle this time.
Emmanuel Schneider