How 49ers RB Raheem Mostert went from avoiding sharks to NFL defenders

Raheem Mostert went from avoiding sharks on his surf board while growing up on the eastern shore of Florida to pretending to be one on special teams in the NFL.

And after establishing himself as the 49ers’ top player in punt and kickoff coverage for most of the last two years, he went on to add teeth to San Francisco’s second-ranked rushing attack and became a key piece of the offense heading into the playoffs starting Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I was really a beach bum,” Mostert told The Bee last month.

While growing up in Smyrna Beach, Florida, an area just south Daytona famous for shark attacks, Mostert was a regular on the waves and his skateboard. He and some 15 friends would spend their spare time on the water or in skate parks after school or on weekends.

Mostert as a 14-year-old turned down a sponsorship deal from the popular surf wear brand, Billabong, instead choosing to focus on football and becoming the first member of his family to get his college degree.

“Football’s always been in my heart no matter what,” Mostert said. “It was one of those things where I just took it for what it was. I still enjoy it, skateboarding and surfing.”

Mostert hasn’t been surfing since attending the wedding of his teammate DeForest Buckner in Hawaii during the summer of 2018. That’s largely because Mostert spends his offseasons living in Cleveland — where Lake Erie is known for pollution and eutrophication, not hanging 10.

His love of surfing, of course, is the genesis of his touchdown celebration, where he mimics riding a wave in his “goofy” stance.

“It’s probably my favorite (touchdown) dance too,” coach Kyle Shanahan said this week.

Mostert an unlikely boost to 49ers offense

Mostert over the summer entered training camp as an unlikely candidate to contribute much on offense. After all, he was squarely behind Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida and Jerick McKinnon on the depth chart at running back. He was expected to get the majority of his work on special teams to hunt down return men while using his elite speed.

But like a rising wave, Mostert’s role increased rapidly as the season wore on. McKinnon was lost for the season in August to knee surgery. Coleman’s production has tailed off and Breida’s dealt with ankle issues.

Mostert’s move up the depth chart started during the blowout victory over the Packers in late November before he became the third player in team history to have at least one rushing touchdown in six straight games, which hadn’t been done since 1995.

Mostert averaged 6.1 yards over 70 carries over the final six weeks of the regular season. He led all NFL running backs with at least 100 carries with a 5.64-yard average. His 10 touchdowns led San Francisco, the top team in the NFC.

“He just keeps grinding every single day, he attacks it every single day,” tight end George Kittle said. “When he finally gets his opportunity, he just sprints through people’s faces. Guys takes angles at him and they realize angles aren’t good enough because he’s too fast. The burst of speed that he runs with, the physicality that he runs with, everything that he’s got going for him right now is on him.”

Mostert’s ascension came from unlikely beginnings.

Mostert’s speed is his edge

The 49ers are Mostert’s seventh team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015 out of Purdue. He bounced from Chip Kelly’s Eagles to the Dolphins, Ravens, Browns, Jets and Bears before landing back with Kelly in San Francisco in 2016.

His speed (he won gold in the the 2014 Big Ten indoor championships in the 60- and 200-meter races) and toughness allowed him to be one of the few players to stick through the coaching change from Kelly to Kyle Shanahan.

He made himself valuable by flying downfield and tackling returners on special teams. He became a noteworthy player to fans by what he’s done as a running back despite never working as a featured back in college.

His most productive season on offense came as a senior when he logged 93 carries for 529 yards. This season, he has 137 runs for 772 yards after getting just seven attempts during his first three years combined.

“I think it’s that work ethic that he’s displayed,” left tackle Joe Staley said. “’He’s never complained about his role when he was a core special teams guy — and he ended up being the best special teams guy we had on this team.

“It’s a great message for a lot of the young guys. Not really complaining about your role, or what your role is currently, but just trying to be the best player you can be for the football team. You never know what’s going to happen, what opportunities are going to rise. And he’s really made the most of it.”

Mostert is one of the team’s most active players in community events. He’s also one of the most affable players in one of the league’s most welcoming locker rooms. He recently started giving touchdown balls to offensive linemen to spike in celebration, providing a snapshot into his unselfishness that’s endeared him to teammates.

But by watching him play, whether he’s running by defenders or hitting punt returners, you wouldn’t guess he spent so much time riding waves or skateboarding.

“If I just saw him on the football field, I’d be surprised because I just don’t think of running backs as big surfers,” Shanahan said. “But I’m with him every day and I get to talk to him and stuff, and it doesn’t surprise me at all, the way he talks.”

This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 5:00 AM.