New 49ers pass rusher Leonard Floyd is known for his relentlessness on the field, and on Monday, the team's defensive-line addition shared where his motor originates from.
“I believe it came from being a country boy,” Floyd said via video conference. “I’m used to working in the fields. When I was growing up, I worked in a watermelon field. That’s real hard labor. I started when I was in ninth grade summer, high school, all the way to my 12th grade year.”
The labor paid off, earning Floyd a University of Georgia scholarship before he was selected No. 9 overall in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.
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“It teaches you grind,” Floyd said. “It teaches you real hard work. I’m just used to selling out and working hard for whatever boss I got.”
Floyd’s hard work has been evident throughout his eight-year NFL career. In Floyd’s 121 game appearances, he was listed as the starter in all but one — Week 16 of the 2023 season as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
The 31-year-old pass rusher has yet to earn a Pro Bowl selection but has racked up 58 total career sacks and 370 tackles -- 228 solo and 63 for a loss. Maybe most importantly, Floyd has not missed a regular-season game in his past six seasons (99 games).
“It comes from taking care of my body, and it’s overall a mindset thing,” Floyd said. “I’m not saying I’m going into every game 100 percent -- there’s been nicks and knacks -- but I’m man enough to play through it. That’s really what it comes down to.”
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Floyd signed a two-year contract with the 49ers worth $20 million -- $12 million guaranteed -- in NFL free agency following his one-year stint with the Buffalo Bills, where he earned $7 million.
Floyd might have his watermelon days partially to thank for his NFL success, but he did not like the intense labor. It was simply a necessary means to an end.
"I didn’t [like it], but I had to buy school clothes and school shoes, so I had to," Floyd said.
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