It was 1st-and-10 with 1:39 remaining in the game. The San Francisco 49ers held a 29-24 lead over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Oct. 10. Quarterback Brock Purdy took the snap and handed it off to Isaac Guerendo, and in an instant the runningback was off, barrelling down the right sideline for a 76-yard gain. Two plays later, the 49ers would score a touchdown to go up 36-24, securing the victory.
Guerendo, an Avon High School graduate of the class of 2018, is in his first season in the NFL. He was drafted in the 4th round, pick 129 overall, of the NFL Draft in April. He first made a splash on the professional scene when, during the NFL Scouting Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds, the third-fastest time of all prospects in 2024.
Guerendo also made one of the top highlights during the last week of the preseason when he returned a kickoff 93 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders.
He started the season third on the 49ers depth chart, but an injury to Christian McCaffrey elevated him to backup, and when Jordan Mason left the game with an injury during the second quarter of Thursday’s prime-time matchup, Guerendo was the next man up. He finished the game with 10 carries for 99 yards.
The 49ers are now 3-3, tied for first place in the NFC West. It’s unclear whether Guerendo will slot in as the starter next game. There are no updates yet on Mason’s injury. In addition, the team is hoping McCaffrey will return from injury sooner than later.
Guerendo played four seasons at Wisconsin and fifth at Louisville, where he rushed for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns. At Avon, he was a wide receiver and track and field star. His senior year he pulled in 54 receptions for 1,258 yards and 16 touchdowns. On the track, he was state champion in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.51 seconds and runner-up in the 200 with a time of 21.57. He anchored the 4×100 relay team, which finished first in the state with a time of 41.28 seconds.
THE ECHO 
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