The 49ers’ revamped strength and conditioning and athletic training staff will play a significant role in the team’s success next season. They announced Tuesday that Dustin Little will take over as the head athletic trainer. Little now takes on an extremely important job.
San Francisco’s inability to keep player’s healthy a year ago sunk their season before it ever got going. They completely overhauled their strength and conditioning and athletic training departments to better marry the two in hopes that it’ll lead to more success in keeping players healthy.
Not only do they have quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Jerick McKinnon rehabilitating their surgically repaired torn ACLs, they signed linebacker Kwon Alexander in free agency despite him tearing his ACL in late October. They also inked former Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett to a one-year contract. He’s dealt with shoulder issues, an ACL tear and an Achilles tear in his five NFL seasons. A slew of other 49ers finished their season on injured reserve or on the bench nursing injuries.
Little has arguably the most difficult job among all newcomers to the coaching staff, and he comes to San Francisco from the Denver Broncos. He interned in Denver in 2013 before being hired as an assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist in 2014. He was promoted to the director of rehabilitation, assistant athletic trainer and director of physical therapy in 2016, then became just the director of rehabilitation and assistant athletic trainer for the 2018 campaign.
49ers general manager John Lynch said in a statement that Little came highly recommended by the Broncos:
We are excited to add Dustin to our health and performance team and believe he is a tremendous fit for our group. A wide net was cast for this search, and we simply kept coming back to him. Our due diligence and a great recommendation from the Broncos organization, which is highly regarded for the care its players, made us extremely confident in bringing Dustin aboard.
Little’s job will begin immediately with so many key players rehabbing injuries from last season. His ability to get them back performing at full strength will be paramount to a 49ers’ turnaround in 2019.
