Charvarius Ward Meets the 49ers Beat Writers
Charvarius Ward held his first press conference as a memeber of the 49ers on Thursday. Here are the highlights.
Q: What do you know about the 49ers?
WARD: "Talented team. Great coaches. Great players. I feel like I'll fit in well here. It's a perfect fit."
Q: What's the biggest lesson you've learned in the NFL?
WARD: "I learned how to play the game, be a true professional. I've gotten better every year I've been in the NFL. There are a lot of great receivers in the NFL, and I knew I had to up my game to be a great cornerback in the NFL."
Q: You weren't invited to the Combine and you weren't drafted. Did you get a lot better, or did teams simply overlook you?
WARD: "It could be a bit of both. I knew I had talent coming out -- I was underlooked. But they see what I can do now."
Q: How do you assess your skill set and what can you bring to the 49ers that they're lacking?
WARD: "I don't feel like they're lacking much. I'm just going to bring a lot of energy, joy and enthusiasm. Young talent. The coaching staff seems happy to have me. I'm happy to be here."
Q: How familiar are you with the 49ers scheme and the players on their roster and how do you see yourself fitting in that way?
WARD: "I talked to the coaches. We had a good conversation. They're excited to have me. Whatever plan they have for me, I'm going to execute it to the best of my ability."
Q: The Rams just signed Allen Robinson, and they still have Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, and they might bring back Odell Beckham Jr. You play them twice a year. Is that a challenge you look forward to?
WARD: "Most definitely. They got talent, but we got talent, too. So may the better man win. I'm going to be on myself."
ME: Do you have any experience covering the slot, and is that something you've talked about with the coaches about doing here?
WARD: "I have experience doing everything. I've been in the NFL four years, I've covered inside, outside, I've blitzed a little bit -- whatever this coaching staff wants me to do, I promise I'll do it to the best of my ability and they won't be disappointed, nor will the fans."
Q: How comfortable are you with press coverage?
WARD: "That's my specialty. I work on it a lot in the offseason. I feel like that's why this coaching staff brought me here, so I'm going to continue to excel at that and get better at that."
You can watch the full press conference below.
And don't miss this blooper at the end.
