In a poignant and revealing letter to San Francisco 49ers fans, departing wide receiver Deebo Samuel shared the moment that he’ll never forget about moving to California.
Samuel, who was traded to Washington on March 1, grew up far from the West Coast in South Carolina and stayed close to home for college, attending the University of South Carolina. In 2019, he was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the NFL Draft. The life-changing move hit Samuel in an unexpected place: a Bay Area Target.
“Cali was different,” Samuel wrote in a Thursday Players’ Tribune article. While at a rookies’ mini camp in Santa Clara, Samuel recalled making a quick trip to Target.
“All of a sudden, the cashier asked me, ‘Do you want a bag?’ Bruh, I know this normal to some of y’all, but never where I’m from have I ever been asked if I want my groceries in a bag,” he wrote.
Surprised, Samuel replied in the affirmative, only to learn that he needed to pay for the bag. “I remember leaving the gas station and calling up my stepmom,” he wrote. “I was like, ‘Buddy just asked me do I want a bag.’ And Mom was like, ‘What you talking about?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, they said it was 10 cents!’ And she just busted out laughing, too. It was just so funny at the time. One of the first things that had me like, What am I getting into?”
Presumably, Samuel acclimated to life in the Bay Area and its many quirks, as the farewell letter was full of fondness for his time with the 49ers. He gave special mention to his unconventional relationship with head coach Kyle Shanahan (“The relationship that me and Kyle got is ridiculous. You can ask anybody in the building.”) and ended on a sincere thank you to 49ers fans.
Samuel ended up with 22 receiving and 20 rushing touchdowns in 84 games with the 49ers. The Commanders are giving San Francisco a fifth-round draft pick in exchange for the wide receiver.
