By Sean Walker

UNDER THE LIGHTS — Fred Warner was starstruck after he arrived with the San Francisco 49ers for the Super Bowl's annual "opening night" media interviews Monday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

But not by who you might think.

Standing opposite him wasn't pop superstar Taylor Swift, her boyfriend Travis Kelce, or Kansas City Chiefs coach (and fellow BYU alum) Andy Reid. He wasn't staring at any of the celebrities that often wander around Super Bowls, either.

Instead, Warner slapped palms with Jeremiah Fennell, the 11-year-old aspiring sports reporter and viral sensation who was invited to cover the Super Bowl as a correspondent for the NFL Network by the Las Vegas Raiders.

"I know who you are; I'm a big fan," Warner said as he slapped palms with the youngster, recorded and posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Then he realized the pint-sized journalists had questions. Warner was prepared for that, too, as he even offered a glimpse into the playing style that produced 120 tackles, 70 solo stops, 2.5 sacks, 11 passes defended and four interceptions en route to Pro Bowl selection and NFL All-Pro honors.

That answer may interest college football fans of a couple of teams in Utah.

In a rapid-fire series of questions, the former BYU linebacker told the NFL Network correspondent why he tries to play like former Utah State star Bobby Wagner Super Bowl opening night.

"He's been the best backer in the league for a long time, ever since I joined the NFL," said Warner, who has 100 or more tackles in all six of his pro seasons. "So I was like, I've got to figure out what the best is doing if I want to be the best one day. I studied his game and tried to take little things out of his game, and put them in mine."

Like a seasoned pro, Fennell even tried to force Warner to tip his hand, asking if the 49ers standout linebacker and his defensive teammates have a game plan "specifically designed to slow down Travis Kelce."

"I guess we'll have to find out on Sunday," Warner responded with a laugh.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50868010/have-you-seen-this-fred-warner-tells-super-bowl-kid-reporter-why-he-emulates-bobby-wagner