LAS VEGAS — Chase Young was getting a massage, and had fallen asleep. His masseuse tapped him awake — his phone was buzzing, much more than usual.
“I looked and all I saw in my text messages was, ‘49ers, 49ers,’” Young said. That’s when he realized his season was about to look a lot different.
Young, who grew up in the D.C. area, realized his dream of playing in the NFL for his hometown team. Now, he’s playing in Sunday’s Super Bowl for the San Francisco 49ers.
“I wasn’t mad at all,” Young said of the trade. “And now my feeling is very happy.”
His abrupt midseason turn of fortune is a condensed version of the journey offensive lineman Trent Williams has been on during his 14-year NFL career, one that will almost certainly be capped off by his enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
Still, despite all the individual achievements, his decade in Washington produced little in the way of team success.
“It did feel untouchable for a long time,” he said of making the Super Bowl. “It’s incredibly disheartening when you feel like you don’t have a chance to be here. You know, the first 10 years of my career it just seemed like it would be out of reach. So the way these last four went, I’m super grateful, super thankful to be in the position, and I’m just thanking God every day.”
Williams was a star on the Redskins teams of the 2010s, but a dispute over a brain tumor that had to be surgically removed (Williams believes it was misdiagnosed by team doctors) led to an acrimonious split.
When Ron Rivera took over, there was an attempt at mending fences, but Rivera wanted Williams to play on an undervalued contract for a year, to prove his worth before getting an extension. Williams opted instead to be traded and was moved to the 49ers.
In San Francisco, he’s still at the center of the action, and just as he did in Washington, has one of the perks reserved for veterans — a double locker in the locker room, with more space to spread out.
“I’ve just got a lot of stuff,” he said with a laugh.
Williams said he’s savoring being a part of a game he always dreamed about playing.
“Super Bowl weekend, you know, the whole family comes together and gets some Rotel dip and everybody lounges on the couch watching the game,” he said. “I just always wanted to be in that event, be one of the teams that has a chance to play for the title in front of the whole world.”
Young has been under a microscope since he was the No. 2 draft pick out of Ohio State, but walking into Allegiant Stadium for a media night that was attended by 20,000 fans, he was impressed.
“This is definitely an experience you can’t put into words,” he said. “One of those games that you just dream of going to as a kid, and you never know if you’ll make it there.”
He answered questions on all sorts of topics, reminiscing on his grandfather, who loved the Cowboys and would antagonize the family on Thanksgiving, to why he has dreadlocks (he likes the way they fly in the air when he hits an offensive player).
Young said he’s working on keeping a good sleep routine this week and will play a soft playlist Sunday before the game, with Bob Marley and Sade, to keep “a slow burn, so the fire doesn’t run out before the game.”
It’s all part of a journey that has been unexpected but led to a gratifying place.
“It was definitely a different season,” Young said. “One that was unexpected. But I have a strong faith, and you know, everything is in God’s plan, so it’s all good.”
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