In 2010, I was interning at Bleacher Report. My job was to send out newsletters to various subscribers of certain teams. I had a lot of responsibilities for SEC college football teams and one of the teams was South Carolina. Naturally during that season I kept a close eye on Marcus Lattimore as he was just dominating the running game for the Gamecocks. I felt that I was learning so much about college football and a lot about South Carolina. Instantly, I became a fan of Lattimore as he was just impressive to watch and follow.

When he suffered the knee injuries I was devastated. The player I watched and cheered for may not be able to play again. Fortunately he was able to make himself a prospect worth considering and the 49ers saw that. Combining a favorite player of mine and my favorite team was just a wonderful idea. I saw the NFL Films documentary on Lattimore and the joy he and his family had when the 49ers called him while he was eating lunch at Benihana.

I knew that also the 49ers were taking a risk on a player that wasn’t fully healed and it was an investment.

The investment ended today and I wish Lattimore the best. He never got a chance to do what he loved but knowing what he was able to accomplish in the past, he was primed for greatness. Most importantly, he has been a humble guy and would have been a great leader on this team. Good luck where ever you go, Marcus. I’ll always remain a fan.