Rodney Harrison rode the Deebo Samuel bandwagon early.

The Football Night In America analyst, who was a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots, liked the 49ers rookie receiver's game in college. Harrison had a reputation as a hard-hitting safety in the NFL, so it's no surprise Samuel's physicality and ability to initiate contact with defenders won over Harrison while the rookie was starring for South Carolina.

"That's the exciting thing about it," Harrison told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco at Super Bowl Radio Row on Friday. "That's why I fell in love with this kid at the University of South Carolina because every time I would watch their games, he would be the one kid that's playing at a different speed. He would be the most physical guy, and he would play with the most energy. Absolutely amazing."

Samuel proved to be a versatile component in Kyle Shanahan's offense as a rookie. He caught 57 passes for 802 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season, rushing for 159 yards and three more TDs.

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The 24-year-old hasn't been one to shy away from contact as a pro, accounting for more yards after the catch (473) than all but 12 players this season. Teammate George Kittle ranked second (602), giving quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo two options who are capable of making big plays even bigger.

"I think one of the most underrated things in this game is your ability to tackle these guys in open space," Harrison said. " ... I mean, think about it. Kittle, every time Kittle gets the ball he's getting an extra five-to-eight yards because he's throwing people out the way. Deebo Samuel ... it's the same thing. You see him, he comes across the middle. No one -- like in my days, we would have knocked his head off coming across the middle. Nowadays, everyone's scared to hit him. He's [6-foot-1, 216 pounds] and no one wants to hit him!"

You can watch the full interview in the player above.