There are two plays from George Odum’s first preseason with the Indianapolis Colts that he believes enabled him to win a roster spot as an undrafted rookie from Central Arkansas.
The first came during a practice when he opened eyes with an impressive pass breakup against quarterback Andrew Luck.
The other big moment came in the third preseason game in 2018 against the 49ers when he made a perfect read and intercepted a Nick Mullens pass. That play might have locked down a spot.
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“I was playing linebacker when I first got to the NFL,” said Odum, who was the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year in his final college season. “My footwork wasn’t good. I didn’t break on the ball too well.
“My coach saw one play. We were playing cover-2, and Andrew Luck threw it to the sideline. I almost picked it off. He showed that film to me and said, ‘This is the reason we’re going to keep you at safety.’”
Six years later, Odum still is trying to prove he can play safety. He has been such a force as a special-teams player that his teams seemingly have been reluctant to afford him that opportunity. He was an AP first-team All-Pro on special teams in 2020, and has been the 49ers’ top special teams player since his arrival as a free agent in 2022.
Odum is in his third season with the 49ers, and he has been playing with the No. 1 defense while Talanoa Hufanga awaits medical clearance after undergoing surgery in November to repair a torn ACL.
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The fact Odum was not elevated into the starting lineup immediately after Hufanga’s injury last season remains a sore spot for him. But it also provided him with a valuable perspective on his football career.
“Last year, I felt like I was supposed to start when Huf got hurt,” he said. “I felt I was going to start because that’s the way it was on the depth chart.
“But I didn’t, and I felt some type of way, and the next game I tore my biceps. I started thinking about that. I just got to take advantage of every play I’m out there because you never know when it could be your last.”
Odum underwent surgery to repair a torn biceps on his right arm. The tendon that connects to the forearm was ripped completely off the bone. The recovery was supposed to take two to four months. Odum was back in six weeks, in time to resume his role on special teams for the postseason.
This summer, Odum has looked the part of a starter while lining up alongside second-year player Ji’Ayir Brown. Odum has four interceptions of starting quarterback Brock Purdy during practices.
“I try to get one every day,” Odum said. “It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is. If it’s up, it’s ours. I’m making Brock better with his reads and stuff. I’m reacting fast.”
He also is providing leadership in the defensive backfield.
“Honestly, I don’t think he’s just a special teams player,” Brown said. “He’s been communicating. He understands the defense. He’s been attacking. He’s looking very good out there.
“Whatever points he makes, I’m always tuning in on it.”
And it’s that kind of respect Odum has sought. He said he can tell what teammates think of each other by the way they pay attention when somebody is talking.
“I care about the respect of my teammates,” he said. “This is how you know they respect you: If they’re looking at you and they’re listening to you, they respect you. They’re locked in and listening to you.
“I want to be the guy they depend on. My family depends on me. This is my extended family. Why can’t they depend on me, too? I’m trying to put good things on film, be dependable, reliable and just do my job.
“This is like a puzzle piece, and we all got to put our pieces together and make it fit.”
The biggest piece of the puzzle for Odum’s strong training camp is how much fun he is experiencing. He said his passion for the game has grown over time from his first summer in the NFL with the Colts which he compared to an Army boot camp.
One little-talked-about challenge a lot of young players face upon entering the NFL is dealing with others who want to share in their financial success. Odum said he was regularly contacted by individuals who asked him for handouts.
His priority, of course, was to take care of his own family. And that was not a certainty those years when he was constantly battling to stay in the NFL on minimum salaries.
On his second contract with the 49ers, that stress has been mostly removed from his life because he has already dealt with the awkwardness of saying no.
Now, he is thoroughly on top of everything and is living with less stress. And that shows on the field, too.
He said he has not missed an assignment all summer, and he is quick to provide a refresher to Brown as soon as defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen calls in the play.
“All the jitters and all the other stuff I was feeling at first, they’re gone,” he said. “I’m more relaxed back there. I’m seeing the quarterback easier. I’m seeing my (run) fits easier. It makes it fun. As soon as play comes in, I tell him exactly what we’ve got to do, ‘Boom, boom, boom.’”