How a group of 49ers fuel the best defense in the NFL

DRE GREENLAW HAD a football and Fred Warner had a plan. This is the way things often work among the 49ers’ linebacker group: Warner, who describes himself as “the big brother, the pappy,” is the professor, Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair are the recipients of his wisdom. In this instance, Warner floated his latest idea as they were sitting on the bench with the rest of the San Francisco defense in the final minutes of a convincing Week 14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Dre, you gonna get your ball signed by Tom?” Warner asked.

Greenlaw, who had a brilliant interception of a Tom Brady pass earlier in the game — and the ball to show for it — barely thought about it before saying, “Naw, I don’t want to do that.”

Warner persisted. “Bro, you might as well. When’s the next time we’re going to play against this guy? You’ll never get another opportunity like this.”

Greenlaw considered this idea and all of its negative ramifications: looking like a fanboy; insulting Brady by presenting him with a symbol of that day’s failure; being rebuffed and having to face the inevitable meme-y backlash. And then, at Warner’s prompting, he thought of the positives: getting a ball that you intercepted signed by Tom Freakin’ Brady, on the field after a statement win. Greenlaw’s head shook slower and slower, eventually becoming a nod. “You know what?” he told Warner. “You’re right.”

And so, on the Levi’s Stadium field after the game, as the two approached Brady, Warner could sense Greenlaw’s reluctance. Warner — the mentor, the All-Pro, the one with the juice to get Brady’s attention — took the lead, and Greenlaw dragged a few steps behind holding a football, suddenly unsure all over again. They got closer, and Greenlaw got slower. “In Dre’s defense,” Warner says, “It’s kind of surreal to be up close to Tom since for so long we were all little and watching…