The coronavirus pandemic forced NFL players to get creative with their offseason workouts. With Santa Clara County being one of the early hotspots for the virus, many players on the 49ers roster chose to take their training elsewhere, with small groups popping up in Texas, Florida and Oregon.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne chose to return to his hometown of Portland, and began vigorous workouts to prepare for his fourth season in the NFL. Bourne's grind impressed teammate and starting linebacker Kwon Alexander so much that he decided to fly up and join Bourne in the gym.
“Kwon gave him a call,” Andrew Bourne, one of Kendrick’s two older brothers, told The Athletic's David Lombardi. “He said, ‘I see you working. I see you doin’ your thing. I’m gonna come down there. I wanna work, too.’
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SIGN UP HERE “So Kwon’s like a brother to us now. He was only supposed to stay here seven days. He ended up staying more than a month.”
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Alexander and Bourne became so tight, that Kwon ended up spending family holidays like Mother's Day and Easter with the Bourne family.
“I was excited when I heard Kwon was coming,” Luisa Turner, Bourne's mother, said. “Oh, my gosh, he is a really sweet guy. Really nice, very down to earth. I can tell he’s just living his life, enjoying the fruits of his labor. For him to come out here to Portland and to show Kendrick, ‘I’m here to support you’ -- it was great.”
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But the bromance didn't stop once the duo left the Pacific Northwest. Alexander and Bourne both continued their workouts in Santa Clara, sharing the field at San Jose State University. When Alexander rolled up to one of the sessions with a new Rolls-Royce, Bourne couldn't help but be excited.
Alexander looks to play his first full season for the 49ers after tearing his pectoral muscle in Week 9 last year. ALexander was able to return for the postseason but was nowhere near 100 percent. Bourne is looking to be the primary slot receiver once again in 2020, and he could be in line for additional targets if Deebo Samuel's injury forces him to miss the start of the regular season.
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