Jimmy Garoppolo admitted he was not surprised to learn he was being traded.
Though the quarterback’s agent didn’t give him many hints, Garoppolo said he’s always been eager to become a franchise quarterback, and on Monday evening, Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick called him personally to deliver the news.
“He (Belichick) was actually the one that called me,” Garoppolo said. “He gave me the news, he wanted to tell me himself, which I really appreciated from him. Coach is always very straightforward with you. He’s not going to BS you. I appreciated that and he taught me so much when I was in New England and I’m only going to use that moving forward.”
Garoppolo appeared with Murph & Mac on KNBR on Wednesday morning and told the hosts that while he appreciates the time he had in New England to learn the craft of playing quarterback under Tom Brady, he’s looking forward to stepping into the spotlight and trying to help the 49ers become a winner.
“I was eager for it to happen is a good way to put it,” Garoppolo said. “I had a great time in New England, I enjoyed my time there and I’m thankful for it but I mean, we play this game to go out and compete on Sundays and that’s what I’m here to do. Whatever I can do to help the team win.”
The 49ers’ newest player flew from the east coast to the west coast on Tuesday, and after grabbing a few hours of shut eye, he spent the second half of the plane ride learning head coach Kyle Shanahan’s playbook. The Eastern Illinois product said it’s different than the system he ran in New England under Belichick, and a stark contrast from the spread offense he ran at the college level under current Syracuse head coach Dino Babers.
“It’s different than what I came from,” Garoppolo said. “I’ve been telling people it’s kind of like learning a new language. I mean, I’m excited about it. It’s going to be a little difficult to pick up, but we’ll get it going.”
As for how Garoppolo became a quarterback in the first place? That all started back in high school, when an injury to a teammate forced a young linebacker into action. Now, he has the chance to become the new face of the 49ers.
“They were pretty limited,” Garoppolo said of his college options. “I played linebacker up until my junior year. Our quarterback got hurt and I kind of got thrust into the situation so I didn’t have a lot of offers. I think I had three D-I AA offers and Eastern Illinois was one of them and that’s where I ended up.”
To listen to Garoppolo’s full interview with Murph & Mac, click the podcast link below. To listen to Garoppolo talk XXXX, skip ahead to the 8:28 mark.