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49ers second-year defensive tackle Quinton Dial wants to be just like All-Pro lineman Justin Smith.
"You can just pop on the film, man, and see his level of intensity and how he plays a game. I just want to take my game to his level and then some," Dial said Saturday on KNBR. "Just take it all in while he's still playing. I just try to craft my game to be like his, because he's a great guy and a great football player."
Dial, 24, was a fifth-round pick out of Alabama in 2013. He missed the majority of his rookie season with a turf toe injury.
[MAIOCCO: 49ers DL Dial fined $16,537 for roughing penalty]
But he believes watching from the sidelines in his first year helped, as the young defender was able to absorb the nuances of the position from a mental standpoint.
"It definitely did [test my patience]. I'm one that loves to be out there to do what I can to help my team win," Dial said. "But to have that year to just have a chance to grow, my knowledge, learning from Justin Smith and Ray McDonald and those guys, it really has helped me a lot coming into my second year in the league."
49ers defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is playing a major role in Dial's development, too.
"And coach Tomsula as well, he's helped me out a lot as well -- helped me go into my playbook and making sure I'm sharp in everything I'm doing," Dial added. "You need to be prepared to play the game.
[MAIOCCO: Dial: 'Excited for opportunity' to play Sunday]
"He's hard on me, to keep me on my toes, keep me going and keep me working hard."
The 6-foot-5, 318-pound Dial had 15 tackles and a team-high two forced fumbles in the 2014 preseason.
After being scratched in Week 1, Dial was activated for his fourth career regular season game in Week 2 vs. the Chicago Bears.
His mentor, Smith, currently leads the 49ers in sacks with three in two games, ranking the veteran second in the NFL.
