With Trey Lance being one of the newer additions to the NFC and the NFL as a whole, there are probably more than a few things that most people didn’t know about him. He may only be in his early twenties, but Lance is already proving that he may be able to go down as a legendary figure in the NFL. Playing for the San Francisco 49ers, Lance has already proven quite a lot in a short amount of time.
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It’s impressive that someone like Lance was able to stand out in college despite having struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic that was still raging around the world during that time. It just goes to show that true talent is always going to be noticed and picked up by a league filled with traditions like the NFL.
10 He Was Selected 3rd Overall After Playing One Game
Now it is fair to say that Trey Lance was impressing the world long before his final season of collegiate play, but it’s incredibly impressive to acknowledge that he was drafted incredibly high after playing just one game.
Lance’s final season of college football was cut short thanks to all of the issues surrounding COVID-19, resulting in him playing just a single game. He ended up deciding to declare himself for the NFL Draft since he was already in high demand, something that seems to have worked out for him.
9 He Comes From A Football Family
While there have been plenty of people who have a family with a history in sports, it’s not as common as some might think for entire families to be dedicated to football. Luckily for Lance, his father was quite heavily involved with football as well.
Rather than playing primarily for the NFL, Lance’s father was a cornerback for the CFL in which he played for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. He also spent time playing for the London Monarchs in the now defunct World League Of American Football.
8 He Didn’t Always Play Quarterback
A lot of football players pick up the position of their choice immediately in their youth and tend to stick with that for the rest of their lives. While that was almost true for Lance, he did actually switch to quarterback from his prior position of choice, running back.
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The switch was probably a serious decision, but it was one that ultimately paid off. Playing as a running back from a young age, Lance would switch to quarterback sometime during middle school, and the rest is history.
7 He Spent An Entire Season With A Nagging Injury
Most people who are fans of Lance will be well aware that he is a relatively new addition to the 49ers, but they may have missed the fact that he played an entire season with an injury. While a finger injury may not seem like a big deal to some, it can be a serious issue for quarterbacks.
He didn’t see as much time playing as he probably would have liked in the 2021 season, but Lance was able to put in serious work even with an injured finger. Heading into 2022 refreshed might be what he needs to show off what he can do.
6 He Was Recently Promoted To Starting Quarterback
When young stars are added to a team, it’s usually only a matter of time before they become the starting quarterback. Despite that, many people were shocked to learn that Lance would be replacing Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback.
Garoppolo was the back-up for Tom Brady on the Patriots for years, and as a result, has two Super Bowl wins under his belt. His lackluster play in the 2021 season was enough to see the 49ers take a chance on their new young star moving forward.
5 He Went An Entire College Season Without An Interception
Anyone who’s watched football for any stretch of time knows that an interception can happen at literally any time. Even some of the most beautiful passes in NFL history have fallen victim to a cheeky interception, so it’s rare for most QBs to not have a few by the end of the season.
In college, Lance managed to make it through an entire season without giving up any interceptions whatsoever, and that was with sixteen games played. It’s an impressive stat that made Lance the desire of more than a few teams in the NFL.
4 His Dog Might Have Predicted His Future
Lance has shared a few funny stories over the last little while, but one of the funniest is one that actually involves his family dog. Lance wound up on the 49ers, and he also happens to have a dog named Niner.
He’s admitted that the name is actually in connection with the number that his family would wear whenever they competed, but it’s a bit of a hint of what his future would ultimately hold. Many NFL fans are superstitious, and this is one coincidence that is just too much for some people.
3 He Won Two Major Awards In College
Every athlete wants to win awards in college. While they are fantastic personal accomplishments for anyone, they are also serious flags that professional teams pick up on. Lance didn’t just win one major award during his time in college, he actually won two.
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He picked up both the Jerry Rice award and the Walter Payton Award. The Walter Payton Award is given to an outstanding offensive player, and the Jerry Rice Award is given to an outstanding freshman. Both accolades were solid points of proof that Lance was worth an investment.
2 His Chance To Prove Himself Was Derailed
Every back-up in the NFL waits for the moment to finally prove themselves in the minds of fans. Lance actually got a chance far sooner than he likely would have thought, but he ended up getting sidelined with an injury.
After Garoppolo was injured, it looked like Lance was going to be picking up a few games of play. Unfortunately, Lance injured his knee during the game and was unable to play for the next four games. It derailed his opportunity, but he’s managed to become a starter regardless.
1 He Was Seen As The Best Quarterback In All Of Minnesota
Something that a lot of people forget about once someone’s made it to the NFL is their accomplishments in their youth. Most ignore those because the competition level tends to be much lower, but Lance outshined an entire state.
Before Lance ever made it to the NFL, he was considered to be the best quarterback in the entire state of Minnesota. Something like that isn’t just said about any player, so it was yet another thing that caught the eyes of NFL fans when Lance made it to the league.
