"When you ask me about when the light went on, he started me thinking about it. And the truth is, it really started when Bill (Walsh) got hold of me. Because when Bill got hold of me I remember him pulling me aside and saying ‘Steve, nobody knows where you are.’ And I’d go run for 10 yards, or I’d scramble around and throw the ball for a nice completion or something and he’d say, ‘That’s great. But nobody knows where you are. And the truth is, if you really want to make the most of it — get everything out of the play that I call. You left early. You didn’t explore every avenue or option. And people need to know where you are.’ And I remember thinking ‘Oh, crap. I better be where everyone expects me to be. And do everything that everyone expects me to do with this play. I’ve got to exhaust it.’

And there were times when I would exhaust it and he would see my eyes work the whole thing, and I would take off running for 15 yards and he would say ‘Now that’s 15 yards worthwhile. That’s what I’m talking about. That play got exhausted and then you created something out of nothing. You made me look good rather than — you running around and not exhausting the play and making 15 yards. That adds up to one-plus-one equals one. Over time, those 15 yards actually hurt.’ That was how he taught me."