Professor Burke Robinson impacted his student John Lynch enough to be involved in the re-build of the San Francisco 49ers. John Lynch, the 49ers General Manager, hired Burke to create a vision statement in 2017 with the senior leadership team including head coach Kyle Shanahan.

In an age that favors skills mastery and technical acumen over all other capabilities including soft skills, the NFL draft (similar to the broader job market) enables GMs like Lynch to select the best and brightest athletes over those with unique character traits that can be found in lower rounds of the draft. Talent wins more games than just pure teamwork so the thinking goes. In contrast to the Chiefs, many of the recent 49ers’ draft picks were not toppers, just middle of the road guys like George Kittle and Brock Purdy, versus elite Chiefs talent like Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.

However, NFL championships can be won based on an indomitable team spirit as demonstrated in the earlier epoch of 49ers glory (1980s and 1990s). Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were remarkable draft finds, too. These 49ers have revived themselves as a mission-driven team. Intangibles have made them a favorite with hardworking players from relative obscurity. They carry each other more cohesively thanks to shrewd management.

The vision statement (see screenshot) defined how the team was built player-by-player. We find out today if the 49ers’ blueprint can win a championship.

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