Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers Long Snapper Taybor Pepper has found a fan in Good Morning Football host Kyle Brandt, who awarded Pepper his Week 10 game ball. Brandt praised Pepper for defending his kicker. Jake Moodyafter the second-year player struggled through three missed field goals before finally scoring the game-winning goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It was Moody’s first game back after suffering a high ankle sprain during Week 5. During Sunday’s game, wide receiver Samuel Deebo He expressed frustration with Moody, but Pepper intervened to defend her teammate.

“Jake was going through a rough patch,” Pepper said after the game. “I just defended Jake because there was still time on the clock, so the game wasn’t over, and everyone knows what happened at the end.”

Brandt, who was delighted to dish out the match ball, passionately applauded Pepper’s support, much to the delight of his co-hosts.

“You’d think they’d have some problems with special teams. He doesn’t.” Brandt stated Monday morning. “That’s him… stepping in for his kicker as the star receiver shoves him in the throat. And then Taybor Pepper walks up behind him, chirping at him, as Deebo continues to walk away. All 6-4, 250-pound long snapper, saying : ‘Don’t come talk to my kicker… We have each other. You take care of what you have to do. We have a young kicker who is having a really difficult day. What he needs is for you to come to him. chirp him.

“I love Taybor Pepper. He’s a veteran in this league. He’s a Michigan State man. He’s a family man. He’s a strong, true San Francisco 49er… Specialists get criticized a lot all the time. They get the butt. of many jokes. Don’t mess with those specialists sometimes. They’re already here. They’ll mess with you again. Don’t start anything or he’ll finish it!”

After the match, Samuel admitted his frustrations got the better of him as the team faced the prospect of allowing another victory to slip through their fingers in dramatic fashion.

“Normally I don’t even get like this, I just get frustrated in the heat of battle,” Samuel explained. “You know, it was a close game and I got a little out of character. But I’ll talk to Moody and we’ll get through it.”