49ers’ Deommodore Lenoir is 2025 winner of Dwight Clark Award

Deommodore Lenoir, a fundamental part of the restructured future of the 49 people, has been named the 2025 winner of the Dwight Clark Award.

The prize honors the current 49 player who is best an example of the “Spirit of Teamwork and Comearie” of the late wide receiver.

Lenoir, 26, will be the focus of a program in the Hammer Theater in San Jose on 21 May with legends of 49 people. It is selected by a panel of voters connected to the Dwight Clark Legacy series.

Three years after the death of Clark set as if in 2018, previous winners include to collect the bronze football of the prize, tight end George Kittle (2021), defending Tackle Arik Armstead (2022), Linebacker Fred Warner (2023) and Linebacker Dre GreenLaw (2024).

At a time when the 49 people were 6-8 and anticipated a large schedule overhaul, the 49 people, with Lenoir on their way to a free agent year, he closed him for five years and a maximum of $ 92 million. It makes him the undisputed leader of the defensive secondary after being a fifth round concept for Oregon in the NFL design of 2021, no. 172 in general.

Lenoir closed the season with 85 tackles, nine Pass reinforcements, a forced junk and two interceptions, but his contributions go beyond statistics because of his rare versatility.

Neither a prototype cornerback nor Slothoek on 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, Lenoir excels in both places. He played like an outdoor corner together with Charvarius Ward and later Renaldo Green and then entered a few passing downs. He showed the tenacity, toughness and coverage to defend both boundaries and between the hashes in an ear where most angles do one or the other.

“I prefer to be a football player, Lenoir said in an interview in early December.” I can fit where necessary. “

Lenoir became the first player to sign an extension in the season since GreenLaw in 2022. Others who earned second contracts were Kittle (August 2020), Warner (2021), Deebo Samuel (2022), Nick Bosa (2023) and Brandon Aiyuk (2024). Kittle received his third contract this week, a deal of four years with a value of a maximum of $ 76.4 million.

“DMO has been a stud. He is exactly what you want from 49er to play,” said coach Kyle Shanahan last December.

Unlike the fact that he will be on the field for almost every Snap, the role of Lenoir must still be defined in 2025. Both he and a second -year player Renardo Green will be starters. The 49 people have set up two rookies – Upton Stout in the fourth round and Marques Sigle in the fifth round – who can end up in the club’s end.

“We’re going to make it come true,” Shanahan said Friday. “DMO is great on the inside, I think he’s outside outside. We see Upton as a player inside.