49ers offensive lineman Alfredo Gutierrez made his NFL debut Saturday vs. the Vikings and earned a game ball for his efforts.
Gutierrez joined San Francisco last season through the NFL’s international pathway program. He’s a native of Mexico and spent last offseason with the 49ers and then was on the practice squad for the full season. International pathway players aren’t allowed to make the active roster and don’t count toward the 90-man roster or practice squad roster.
He lined up at left tackle on the final series and got out on the move as a lead blocker on a toss play before the 49ers kneeled out the clock to secure a 17-7 win.
“Finally! Pretty cool, man. Pretty cool,” Gutierrez told Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group after the game. “I love it. I love the feeling.”
Gutierrez told media in the locker room after the game his nerves kicked in when he stepped on the field.
“I was pretty nervous,” Gutierrez said. “Like I said, I was like, shaking. But that was awesome that Coach Shanahan gave me the ball. That means a lot to me.”
The likelihood Gutierrez makes the club is nil, but the club could elect to keep him on the practice squad again this year depending on how they feel about his development over the last couple years.
Either way, it’s a great moment for Gutierrez. He’ll have another chance to see more action in the 49ers’ preseason finale Thursday in Houston.
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