San Francisco 49ers safety Adrian Colbert is proving to be the steal of the 2017 NFL Draft. He will recall for you immediately that he was the 229th overall pick and tell you he’s still not done proving to teams that passed on him, that they will regret it.

Not quite there yet, but we’re on the right path https://t.co/LNF765D4gX — AC (@AdrianColbert25) January 1, 2018

It appears the seventh round draft pick is a perfectionist, and although he and his team blew out the Los Angeles Rams in their own house, he was upset at a tackle he missed and says there’s still work to be done. Just FYI, Colbert, has a habit of watching film immediately after the game, no matter what the situation is.

Part of his craft is knowing where to hit someone as a defensive back. That is not what happened to Colbert’s cousin, Marquise Goodwin, who left the game with a concussion after a violent hit by Rams defender Blake Countess.

I was pissed off. I was real pissed off. It really frustrated me because as a DB I feel like you can control where you hit, and where you hang. I’ve had several big hits and have yet to get a targeting foul because I know where you’re supposed to hang. So that guy, I feel like he did that on purpose. It frustrated me. A lot.

While Colbert knows where to legally hit a player, his declares that his work is not done. It actually appears that it never will be. His goal is to prove to all teams that passed on him that it was a huge mistake. He will keep working until that is done, and for a long time after it happens as well. He’s had to work for what he has and it’s doubtful that that part of his life will ever change because it’s who he has become.

No, not yet. I mean I don't even feel like I had a good game today. I missed a tackle. I don't like to missing tackles. We got work to do, still got work to do. I mean the season’s over so there’s a lot of things I have to work on during this offseason. Maybe next year I’ll be able to say I proved everybody...I made everybody regret passing on me but right now I don't feel like it.

It hasn’t always been easy for Colbert who almost quit football while he was at Texas. While it’s not a knock on the Longhorn program, he explained that he dealt with entitled people who had things handed to them. He expected as much in Miami but he said everything they have is from 2005. He added that it was humbling to really have to work for everything and grind. That’s why it was a perfect match. What happened in Texas left its mark on Colbert and he will never forget it.

It was a bad time in my life towards the end of my tenure at Texas. I was just in a bad place, I was depressed and I had a coach tell me I wasn’t going to make it, I couldn’t play football, wasn’t going to make it to the NFL. So after you’re dealing with problems outside of football that have you down and then somebody that is supposed to be the guy that’s helping you get to where you want to be in life, career wise, tells you, you can’t do it, it kind of took a toll on me and I made me hit rock bottom, so I considered not playing anymore.

What turned him around?

Just my faith. After that I went home. Marquise was really encouraging at the time and just telling me to keep the faith. I started praying more, and praying more and my blessings started to come and I got a call from one of my old coaches who had just gotten a job in Miami and he told me he might have an opportunity for me. I saw that as a blessing and I took that leap of faith and went to Miami.

Not only will Colbert watch film and perfect his craft in Miami during the offseason, he will try to put on a little weight. He wants to get bigger because he feels smaller in stature, comparatively. Colbert has usually been the fastest on the field clocking 40 times ranging from 4.25 to 4.49. Now he says he’s playing against players who are just as fast, but bigger, so he wants to protect his health with a little bit of mass.

Colbert has won over his teammates and coaching staff with his work ethic and ability which was recognized by him winning the Thomas Herrion Memorial award. It’s an accolade that goes to the rookie or first-year player who has taken advantage of every opportunity and turned it into a positive situation. This particular award is voted on by the 49ers coaches.

Colbert has already won over much of the fan base as well with his play, but don't get him confused with the former player who wore the same number. Ever. Don't call him the 2.0 version or even mention to him that he’s so much like that player. Colbert doesn’t like it and to be honest, he should be gaining enough respect to have his own name associated with the number 38. Or at least he’s working towards it, constantly.