San Francisco 49ers News
Karl Paymah press conference
By smileyman Updated Mar 17, 2010, 6:00pm PDT
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Earlier today the 49ers signed Karl Paymah to a one year deal. His previous one year deal in Minnesota was $1.56 million dollars, so I can't imagine that this deal is much more than that. I like the move, as it does a good job addressing a need for an extra DB since Marcus Hudson got signed by the Panthers. I feel like he'll be an improvement over Hudson at any rate
The transcript of the Q&A sessions is after the jump
On whether he visited the 49ers last year and why he chose the Vikings?
"Yes, it was a tough decision, but I had my old coordinator in Tampa [Bay] and that was going to be a great fit and actually my college coach was coaching in Tampa. I just had a good feeling about the coaching staff in Minnesota, so I went up there. I felt like I was going to grow as a player for a year."
On what happened that made him want to join the 49ers:
"I knew all along it was going to be a short time in Minnesota. I knew about the city and everything, but as far as growing as a player and what I needed at that time, I felt like it would be a great fit. But San Francisco, I'm an LA guy, a California guy. I'm back at home. They have a great program here and they have missing a couple links and I feel like I can be a part of it."
On why he thought Minnesota was going to be a short stay:
"I mean, that's pretty much self-explanatory. They have a great team, a great situation, but everything else, for most people, they would try to get out of. It's negative-40 [degrees], it's not really pleasant. As far as the team, it was a great situation, but it's not somewhere you want to stay for a long period of time."
On whether he experienced a negative-40 day in Minnesota:
"Oh yes, I was there, I experienced it all. I didn't think it was possible, really. It was really like a myth to me. It's like one of those things where you know it's going to hurt, but you kind of want to feel it just to say you did it. It was something like that. One day I was outside my house for about 10 minutes and I felt like I was going to die. Ten minutes and you get frostbite. It's a whole different ballgame out there."
On whether Minnesota froze him out:
"Yes, you could say something like that."
On what his role will be with the 49ers:
"I'm going to come in and do whatever I'm asked. I'm going to play special teams. I've played a lot of nickel; I've had a chance to start a few games, whatever they need me for. I'm big as a corner and I can get inside against great speed. I can get physical and I'm thinking that is where they are going to use me with my ability to bump and run."
On whether he came to visit again or whether it was all done over the phone:
"We had already built a good relationship, built that relationship so I didn't have to come back and make the trip. It was just done over the phone."
On whether he made any other visits to other teams:
"No, it was done over the phone and it basically came down to whether I wanted to stay in Minnesota or come out here."
On whether he checked weather.com before making his decision:
"No, I just had to check the CommonSense.com from being raised in California. It's a pretty simple decision."
On whether he is Culver City and where he makes his offseason home:
"I got drafted out of Denver so I bought a house out there and I liked it so I kept it, so that's where my offseason home is right now."
On whether it's a little bit cold in Denver too:
"The thing about Denver it could be 70 degrees one day and it will snow the next. So you never know what you are going to get. I think they get a bad rap but I like it."
On whether he played with WR Jason Hill at Washington State and whether he sought his advice about the 49ers:
"Yes, I work out with [S] Dashon Goldson and I'm good friends with [CB] Dre' Bly. I talked to Jason Hill. They all gave me a call and said nothing but good things about the organization and the program."
On whether there's a chance he will be teammates with Dre' Bly in San Francisco:
"I'm just going to stick to playing and leave the coaching and the decisions to the guys upstairs. He's a great guy and he's one of my good friends and it would be pleasure to reunite."
On how was he used in Minnesota:
"I was more of an outside guy in a nickel package. They would move [CB Antoine Winfield] inside or [CB Benny] Sapp would be inside. I didn't really play too much unless it was a game when I was playing regular corner and I had to go travel with size. But in the nickel package, I was outside and I played special teams. Special teams is something that I've been doing for awhile."