Rookie CB Reed: 49ers’ unselfishness is not ‘normal’

San Francisco 49ers' D.J. Reed answers questions at NFL football rookie camp Friday, May 4, 2018, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) San Francisco 49ers' D.J. Reed answers questions at NFL football rookie camp Friday, May 4, 2018, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Rookie CB Reed: 49ers’ unselfishness is not ‘normal’ 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The biggest surprise of rookie cornerback D.J. Reed’s first days in the NFL: His new teammates care about the team.

On Friday, the fifth-round pick said he expected the business of the NFL to magnify divisions he’d seen during a college career that included stops at Fresno State, Cerritos College and Kansas State.

Instead, Reed, who could pose a threat to first-string nickel corner K’Waun Williams, shared that warm ebraces — not cold shoulders — have greeted him in Santa Clara.

“I thought the veterans would not help you with the playbook because you’re competing for their spot,” Reed said. “It’s nothing like that. If I ask A.C. (safety Adrian Colbert), if I ask (cornerback) Richard Sherman, if I ask any of those guys -- they want to help me so I can make the team better.

“It’s really team-driven, which is different than basically everywhere I’ve been. Everyone is on board with the same thing. I haven’t met one person that’s selfish, which, to me, is not normal. I’ve never experienced that.”

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Rookie right tackle Mike McGlinchey had a similar observation last week, saying he felt fortunate because he hadn’t “met a bad guy on our team. And the O-line room, specifically, is just filled with awesome dudes.”

OK, that sound great, but let’s stop the love-in to say this: In general, it’s debatable how noteworthy such kumbaya talk is, particularly in May.

However, it’s a positive sign for the 49ers, who are hoping last season’s much-discussed chemistry carries over: In 2017, their ability to maintain a cohesive locker room was about the only impressive aspect of their 0-9 start.

The 49ers, of course, celebrated wildly after their first win over the Giants in November. And their togetherness in Kyle Shanahan’s first season was reminiscent of the spirt in 2011 during Jim Harbaugh’s first year, when they bought into his talk of the “the team, the team, the team.”

Harbaugh got his “team” message from a famous speech delivered by Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler in 1983. In part, Schembechler told the Wolverines they would never play for a true team after college, saying: “You’ll play for a contract. You’ll play for this. You’ll play for that. You’ll play for everything except the team.”

Let’s not be naïve: The 49ers don’t have a completely selfless team, but they do have something that struck veterans last year before rookies took notice this spring.

“I thought going to the NFL people would all be just thinking of themselves and their next contract,” Reed said. “It’s honestly not like that. This is really family based. Everyone wants to help you.”

Twitter: @Eric_Branch