San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert jumped on a video conference call with reporters on Wednesday. In the background was a large photo of a lion's head. No, it wasn't a custom Zoom background. It was an actual photo on his wall.
It seemed fitting, considering what Mostert told reporters during the interview.
"My hunger, right now, more than ever, is so pure," Mostert said. "I want to just get back to that level and exceed what I did last year, times ten. That's just my mindset, right now. Just got to take care of the little things, and the little things, right now, is honing in on these meetings, and going out there on the field in my front yard, and doing my drill work.
"I definitely do reflect on what I did last year, and I just want to exceed it."
Mostert rushed for 772 yards with eight rushing touchdowns on 137 carries last season. He got into the end zone twice more after hauling in passes. The running back is expecting a more significant workload in 2020 and has bulked up this offseason in preparation for the increased role.
"Right now, I'm just building myself up," Mostert explained. "I'm actually gaining some more muscle, which is kind of bizarre just because I haven't really been able to think about gaining muscle because I've already had muscle like that.
"Just trying to incorporate those things in my daily workouts, so that way, I'm able to take those hits and be one of those guys getting 200 carries. I've got to get prepared for that, and the only way that I know how is to get bulky and stronger."