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SANTA CLARA – In his first tour with the 49ers, which concluded in 2005, wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was known for his unique personality.
It wasn’t all positive, either, as he was involved in clashes with teammates and coaches.
Through the first week of training camp, the 10-year veteran has gotten positive reviews on and off the field as he attempts to make a comeback after a one-year hiatus.
“I think he’s a great guy to have around,” said receiver Anquan Boldin, one of the most-respected players on the team. “We love having him in the meeting room. He definitely makes everything live. I think he fits in.”
Lloyd seemingly matured off the field, and he turned his career around in 2010 when he led the NFL with 1,448 receiving yards with the Denver Broncos. He followed that up with more than 900 yards receiving the next two seasons, as he moved on to the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots.
He continues to show flair on the practice field with his leaping and ability to make incredibly difficult catches look routine. He has also caught 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh’s eye in the meeting room.
Harbaugh described Lloyd sitting during meetings and watching film. Then, Lloyd will go through certain physical acts that correspond to what he’s watching on the screen. Lloyd might use a swim move or act as if he’s slapping away the hands of a cornerback in press coverage.
There are even times when Lloyd will spring to his feet and do a jab-step to mimic a movement he’s executing on the film.
“It’s pretty much the whole meeting,” Harbaugh said. “There’s self-talk during the meeting. Talk about full-speed mentally and 100-percent engaged in the meeting. I’ve never seen a guy at any level go through a meeting like that.
“It makes me giggle and giddy to watch him do it. I wish I’d seen that earlier in my career, I could’ve adopted that into my meeting game. It’s awesome. It’s something to behold.”
